America and High Speed Rail

[Sarek]

America is mostly frieght rail atm which is very slow. Many other countries have or are working on high speed rail. It's very costly and that's a problem that needs solving.

Last time i was on a long train ride inside the US i went from NYC to Orlando FL using Amtrak. It was a terrible experience. Every stop Amtrak police got on the train and walked up and down the isles carrying automatic weapons and a dog as if every person on board was a convicted felon. They did this because of the terrorism era, but this is no way to have comfortable travel. Amtrak seems to love to show force even if it's not needed and outdated. When your on a plane no one walks up and down the isles with any kind of weapon or animal and if they did everyone would complain. In Europe i was on high speed rail and never saw anyone with a automatic weapon making travelers feel uneasy.

America and Amtrak keep pushing high speed rail as a problem to deal with later, but i think they're both wrong and other countries are just passing them by.

Some people might be of the mindset that not many people in America would use new high speed rail, but i think they're wrong also, and as soon as Americans get on a few high speed trains they will never go back to those slow dirty outdated trains and rail.

Being the best can't just be a slogan, you have to actually be the best and America's trains and rail are no where near being the best.

What say you?

 

[Sarek]

 

[jsb357]

Can't speak for the US but in the Czech Republic I booked a one way for a 300 mile trip for $17

Two train changes along the way and although I did not speak the language I was a nice trip.

One guy was headed to work and had a pastry and a beer for breakfast.

Never went through TSA or it's equivalent, never had my bags searched, never an issue.

Not high speed as I was heading east. From Praha, high speed only goes to Berlin and Vienna.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I'd use them. I've never been on a highspeed rail but I like the idea of letting somebody else do the driving and being able to take in the sights instead of the asphalt. Honestly I'd ride a camel if it meant American Airlines never got another one of my dollars.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Italian high speed rail is amazing. I love flying,. However, high speed rail would be a nice change.

 

[Sarek]

 

[Sarek]

 

[rags747]

America is mostly frieght rail atm which is very slow. Many other countries have or are working on high speed rail. It's very costly and that's a problem that needs solving.

Last time i was on a long train ride inside the US i went from NYC to Orlando FL using Amtrak. It was a terrible experience. Every stop Amtrak police got on the train and walked up and down the isles carrying automatic weapons and a dog as if every person on board was a convicted felon. They did this because of the terrorism era, but this is no way to have comfortable travel. Amtrak seems to love to show force even if it's not needed and outdated. When your on a plane no one walks up and down the isles with any kind of weapon or animal and if they did everyone would complain. In Europe i was on high speed rail and never saw anyone with a automatic weapon making travelers feel uneasy.

America and Amtrak keep pushing high speed rail as a problem to deal with later, but i think they're both wrong and other countries are just passing them by.

Some people might be of the mindset that not many people in America would use new high speed rail, but i think they're wrong also, and as soon as Americans get on a few high speed trains they will never go back to those slow dirty outdated trains and rail.

Being the best can't just be a slogan, you have to actually be the best and America's trains and rail are no where near being the best.

What say you?

We have actually done that ride in the 2000 timeframe so pre 9/11. My daughter was 5 so doing the whole Disney World thing. Sleeper car and food and Drinks. Was actually a relaxing way to travel but super expensive. This June we are doing the AutoTrain from Sanford Fl to Lorton Va, leaves at 4 and arrives 9am and then we will see my daughter and then we will hit Ogunquit Maine for a few nights and then start heading back. Again, it ain’t cheap...

 

[nightrain]

4 Trillion, and by the looks of it no money for high speed rail.

LOL....they are going to hand the rail portion over to Amtrak and the MTA.

 

[Reality]

A large segment of the younger generation who live in larger cities are not buying cars like previous generations have and ultimately, that is going to drive up demand for public (even if privately funded/owned) mass transportation services.

Despite the need for corporations to make money and the desire to do it the way they have always done it (aka: proven methods), consumers ultimately dictate what happens. It just takes longer to force changes that way.

As housing/rental costs increase due to demand increasing at a rate much faster than the introduction of new supply, younger people are spending more of their money on housing causing auto purchases to be less of a priority to them.

Services like Uber, Lyft, etc. are helping the younger generation live without vehicles in the short term and that will ultimately push transportation oriented companies to find new ways of generating revenue.

Those companies are already shifting their focus toward electric vehicles but those are only going to exacerbate the ever increasing cost of vehicles further reducing younger interest in owning vehicles.

I am sure they will attempt to force their existing systems (square pegs) to work for people in some way (round holes) through things like auto subscriptions, short term rentals/leasing, etc., but in the end they will fail because they cannot make those things cheap or simple enough.

Add to that a post-pandemic world of remote working and work-from-home and that need to own vehicles is going to continue to decline among the younger generation.

As the younger generation hits their 30s and 40s, the government and private industry will be forced to accept the transition of transportation whether they want to or not, much like they did decades ago when interstates and highway infrastructures became the main focus.

High speed rail networks are a proven transportation model in other countries and ultimately, the US will be forced to do the same.

 

[dsturgeon]

Cash for clunkers was an interesting program. It removed a lot of cheap, affordable, old style cars from the market. They have regulated advances in diesel engines, which were getting very high mileage, and forcing a push to electric vehicles. The move to go green is going to be using a huge amount of electricity and battery materials, and is not that green.

I believe there is a whole bunch of funding in that infrastructure bill for battery related and electric vehicle funding.

There has been testing of flying drone taxis all over the world, and some of those are A.I. driven. Which is going to be a cool form of transportation.

It makes you wonder about the 5g towers, and the speed at which they are going up. Maybe, the signal is required for these technologies.

 

[Tabascocat]

How do fossil fuels play into this? I know some that don’t like them.....

 

[Rockport]

America is mostly frieght rail atm which is very slow. Many other countries have or are working on high speed rail. It's very costly and that's a problem that needs solving.

Last time i was on a long train ride inside the US i went from NYC to Orlando FL using Amtrak. It was a terrible experience. Every stop Amtrak police got on the train and walked up and down the isles carrying automatic weapons and a dog as if every person on board was a convicted felon. They did this because of the terrorism era, but this is no way to have comfortable travel. Amtrak seems to love to show force even if it's not needed and outdated. When your on a plane no one walks up and down the isles with any kind of weapon or animal and if they did everyone would complain. In Europe i was on high speed rail and never saw anyone with a automatic weapon making travelers feel uneasy.

America and Amtrak keep pushing high speed rail as a problem to deal with later, but i think they're both wrong and other countries are just passing them by.

Some people might be of the mindset that not many people in America would use new high speed rail, but i think they're wrong also, and as soon as Americans get on a few high speed trains they will never go back to those slow dirty outdated trains and rail.

Being the best can't just be a slogan, you have to actually be the best and America's trains and rail are no where near being the best.

What say you?

Doesn’t matter what kind of passenger train your on, if it was during 9/11 you would have seen law enforcement.

 

[Rockport]

I lived in Japan for 5 years and rode the Shinkansen train often. It’s so much nicer and easier than driving or flying. Like riding on air and the beer cart comes by often

 

[Sarek]

Doesn’t matter what kind of passenger train your on, if it was during 9/11 you would have seen law enforcement.

It was a few years after 9/11, but it was still what i call the terrorism era.

So the next question is, if i bought a ticket tomorrow would i see the samething again?

This is 2021, and i think Amtrak wishes it wasn't. Sorry Amtrak, but the clock keeps ticking no matter what i do.

 

[Sarek]

I think Amtrak belongs in a museum, not in the real world.

 

[Hardline]

Americans love there vehicles too much for high speed trains to be viable or profitable.We love the freedom of mobility.
I work right in front of a train station and all day as it stops i never see more than 5-8 people board or exit the train at one time.

 

[CyberB0b]

US is too spread out for efficient high speed rail, same reason our internet sucks. We're supposed to get one between Dallas and Houston, though.

 

[Seven]

I'd use them. I've never been on a highspeed rail but I like the idea of letting somebody else do the driving and being able to take in the sights instead of the asphalt. Honestly I'd ride a camel if it meant American Airlines never got another one of my dollars.

Flying sucks. Poked and prodded......treated like a common criminal.

All of this just to board an 800 ton germ incubator...

 

[Reverend Conehead]

US is too spread out for efficient high speed rail, same reason our internet sucks. We're supposed to get one between Dallas and Houston, though.

For that reason, I don't think going high speed rail for the entire country would be practical, but certain routes would be. You've mentioned one in Dallas to Houston and back. Others would be Los Angeles and San Francisco -- New York and DC -- New York and Boston. Possibly also some like Chicago and Rockford, and Chicago and Springfield. I'd like to see Omaha and Kansas City as well as Omaha and Des Moines, but that might be pushing it. Maybe Los Angeles and Las Vegas could work as well.