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Old 03-17-2009, 06:52 AM
 
Location: Michigan
29,391 posts, read 55,499,866 times
Reputation: 22043

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Americans started falling out of love with trains 50 years ago, when thrilling silver airliners left locomotives far behind.

Now, President Obama and leaders in more than 30 states say it's time to embrace trains again — but newer, faster ones that can transport passengers past gridlocked airports and highways on electrified railroads at up to 200 mph.

$8 billion could help revive travel by train - USATODAY.com
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Old 03-17-2009, 08:11 AM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,590,355 times
Reputation: 37905
Americans started falling out of love with trains when automobiles and good roads became commonplace. The railroad companies actually helped in their own demise by hauling the equipment and supplies to the sites where they were building roads.

Then there were the tire companies that bought up the trolley companies, tore up, or paved over, the tracks and added rubber tires to the vehicles, which eventually destroyed another segment of the rail industry.

It's about time a president got off his duff and did something positive for this country.

If I could take a train instead of a plane to almost any location I would. We are driving from Iowa to Florida this year because I refuse to spend an entire day (or longer if they screw up the flights) waiting in an airport when I can spend one more day enjoying our country by road. And it will cost less than flying and renting a car.
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Old 03-17-2009, 11:03 AM
 
41,815 posts, read 50,920,524 times
Reputation: 17863
Amtrak is already heavily subsidized to the tune of more than a billion every year and is yet another failure that can only exist with government support, certainly faster better trains may entice people to use the service but with government involvement we will only be creating a bigger more bloated Amtrak.
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Old 03-17-2009, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Apple Valley Calif
7,474 posts, read 22,847,675 times
Reputation: 5682
We are looking into a trip from California to South Dakota. Both bus and train take 36 hours, and the train cost far more than flying. I like the idea of flying because it's all over in a few hours, but we have decided to drive. with three people and a small dog, it it far cheaper to drive, and more convienient...
I like the idea of a train to see the scenery, but they cost way too much..
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Old 03-17-2009, 12:47 PM
 
Location: Vermont
5,439 posts, read 16,831,630 times
Reputation: 2651
Trains are great, but our train system has huge limitations. If you have never been on a TGV you don't know how pleasant it can be...
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Old 03-17-2009, 07:32 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic east coast
7,090 posts, read 12,614,811 times
Reputation: 16009
If you've ever traveled by train in other countries you know how delightful train travel can be. It should be point of national pride and ingenuity to develop a train system that mirrors what train travel can be--and could be again here if we have the vision and the political will to use this efficient transportation mode...not a bad way to move freight either.

I think we can do it--and should do it...plane travel has become, unfortunately, very uncomfortable (unless flying first class) and wrought with delays and glitches...

Something in me loves the sound of a train whistle in the quiet of the night...
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Old 03-17-2009, 09:02 PM
 
Location: Charleston, WV
3,106 posts, read 7,362,525 times
Reputation: 845
Live in WV, we fly out West from either Charleston WV, Columbus OH, or Pittsburgh PA.
Anyone want to do the math as to how long it would take to get to LA via train from either of those places (in our hypothetical analysis there are no stops)?

Because with the inevitable airplane breakdowns, delays, missed connections due to delays, layovers between flights, etc. it usually takes forever to get to California or other western destinations. I'd be real tempted to go by train... well, as long as those train seats weren't as miserable as plane seats.

It's such a hassle, we usually stick to "our side" of the country or tropics (yes, I know - no train to the Caribbean - I'm just venting. Don't go to Hawaii cuz last time, with no weather delays, it took 22 hours to get there. It took a friend 3 days to get back from Hawaii).
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Old 03-18-2009, 05:28 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,660,138 times
Reputation: 24860
I have though about the rail passenger transit system. In cities with congested suburbs rail transit is an obvious solution to rush hour highway congestion. Even Western cities are investing in systems that eastern cities have had for a hundred years (I think some of the equipment is original) and could not function without.

The Northeast corridor from Boston the Washington has the Acella high speed rail. This system is not as fast as similar European systems because of the need to use existing alignments and far too many stops but can usually beat the airplane city center to city center. I think similar trains could be successful on corridors east of the Mississippi River because the distances allow les than one day connections at 200 mph or so. The vast distances of the west (it is just as far from St Louis to Denver as Washington DC to St Louis) are just too far apart and the 600 mph airplane just delivers people faster.

I am glad to se we have an administration willing to seriously consider developing rail transport where it makes sense. Even it the system requires subsidy it will probably be cheaper than the subsidized airlines.
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Old 03-18-2009, 09:34 AM
 
41,815 posts, read 50,920,524 times
Reputation: 17863
The keywords there Greg is "where it makes sense" and once you get government involved all sense goes out the window. The area I live in could probably greatly benefit from both a local line and long distance line and it would make sense here because I think it it would be used, especially a long distance one.

Our area is two large cities split by about 15 miles that is all developed with even a minor city in between that is right across the river from me. We're also within 2 to 3 hours of NYC, Philadelphia and Harrisburg by car. It's a major population center with no form of commuter railroad. Ironically it probably had the most rail per square mile anywhere at least at the turn of century.
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Old 03-19-2009, 11:04 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,660,138 times
Reputation: 24860
Scranton, PA?
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