Quote:
Originally Posted by tpk-nyc
High-speed rail is great if it's actually high-speed. The "high-speed" Acela from New York to DC is only about half an hour faster than the regular Amtrak. Compared with Europe it's a joke. To get real high-speed you have to lay new tracks and that’s very, very expensive. It's would take the same kind of investment we made in the Interstate freeway system in the 50s and 60s.
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An article that explains why America doesn't have high speed rail like Europe and Japan.
Passenger Rail for the Shasta Route: Table of Contents
The blame rests with a combination of Federal Regs that mandate heavier trainsets than necessary, subsidy of petroleum based transportation, and short sightedness.
FWIW - the boom in urban and interurban rail (1890-1910) was mostly funded by private enterprise, seeking to make a profit. That is impossible today, thanks to the income tax, which burdens producers for the benefit of consumers (and the government which 'manages' it all - for a cut of the action).
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