High Speed Rail between Orlando FL, Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Richmond VA, and Washington DC? (Cleveland: rental car, rental)

[primaltech]

I think the national HSR system should follow the national interstates. So you'd have a line from Boston to Miami, roughly following I-95, connecting every major city all along the coast. And then you'd have a roughly-I-85 line from New Orleans to DC, via Atlanta and Charlotte and others. DC would be the connection between those 2 lines.

[ATLTJL]

You know my thought.

I think it's pathetic that every city in the country isn't connected with high speed rail. While Japan was developing it's system, we were doing...I don't even know what.

[PacoMartin]

You know the distance from MCO to TPA is 81 miles, while MCO to ATL is 405 miles. As everyone knows MCO to TPA is full of tourist attractions which gives you a huge base of potential riders.

TPA has a decent selection of international flights, but MCO has more. A train would make it easier to get to MCO for international flights

Air Canada Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air Transat Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson (both begin February 18, 2018)
WestJet Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Ottawa, St. John's
Cayman Airways Grand Cayman
Copa Airlines Panama City
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Cancún
Havana Air operated by Eastern Air Lines Charter: Havana, Holguín, Santa Clara
Silver Airways Marsh Harbour (BA), Nassau, Seasonal: North Eleuthera (begins September 28, 2017)
British Airways London–Gatwick
Edelweiss Air Zürich
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík (begins September 7, 2017)
Lufthansa operated by Lufthansa CityLine Frankfurt

[pinebud1111]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I think the national HSR system should follow the national interstates. So you'd have a line from Boston to Miami, roughly following I-95, connecting every major city all along the coast. And then you'd have a roughly-I-85 line from New Orleans to DC, via Atlanta and Charlotte and others. DC would be the connection between those 2 lines.

We could do that, and it will be a shorter route than the one I proposed. However, there would be much more distance between cities on the leg between Savannah and Raleigh if there's no stopping in Fayetteville or Florence, and Columbia might have a larger metro population and is more significant in South Carolina than Florence. Since Columbia isn't on I-95 and Florence and Fayetteville would be one more stop than just going from Jacksonville to Savannah to Columbia to Raleigh to Richmond to D.C, I would think that it be a little more practical to just do it the route I posted earlier.

I love the idea of going from New Orleans along 85 to DC via Atlanta and Charlotte, and if it eventually connected with Texas and the West Coast via Houston, I think that route could be almost as popular as the I-95 route you proposed.

Anyway, neither is right or wrong, and this is just my opinion, and I hope I did not put your opinion down. I just think there's a little more historic precedent with this map in placehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tates_2013.svg

[pinebud1111]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

You know the distance from MCO to TPA is 81 miles, while MCO to ATL is 405 miles. As everyone knows MCO to TPA is full of tourist attractions which gives you a huge base of potential riders.

TPA has a decent selection of international flights, but MCO has more. A train would make it easier to get to MCO for international flights

Air Canada Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air Transat Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson (both begin February 18, 2018)
WestJet Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Ottawa, St. John's
Cayman Airways Grand Cayman
Copa Airlines Panama City
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Cancún
Havana Air operated by Eastern Air Lines Charter: Havana, Holguín, Santa Clara
Silver Airways Marsh Harbour (BA), Nassau, Seasonal: North Eleuthera (begins September 28, 2017)
British Airways London–Gatwick
Edelweiss Air Zürich
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík (begins September 7, 2017)
Lufthansa operated by Lufthansa CityLine Frankfurt

I think the FEC brightline has routes planned for the connection to the Orlando International Airport with Tampa city, although I don't know about them connecting the Tampa airport to the Orlando Airport. You can read more about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline and here: Florida Train Travel & Tickets - Florida Train Company | Brightline

[dblackga]

I'd be on board with that :-) I'd love to be able to get to Richmond and DC in less than 4-5 hours in comfort and without the hassle of TSA.

Loved the HSR system in China when we lived there one summer -- 5 hours for the 819 miles between Shanghai and Beijing! Granted, China does't have the private property issues that rail builders here in the U.S. face, but goodness, it was wonderful. The security was far less oppressive than for a plane trip to the same location, the seats were FAR more comfortable, you could get up and walk around easily, enjoy a dining car, and generally have a fairly stress-free trip. When you figured the time involved in checking in, going through security, flying in an uncomfortable seat for 2 hr. and 15 minutes, waiting for luggage -- it's a no-brainer.

I've taken the Amtrak train from DC to Atlanta before -- a 12 hour overnight ride, but the seats were comfortable (reclined, foot rest), there was a snack car (not dining), and the bathroom was definitely less claustrophobic. I snoozed most of the time. But NEVER will I ever check a bag on Amtrak again. When we reached Atlanta, it took them almost an HOUR to unload and bring the luggage to the station, and then insisted on calling out each clam ticket ONE BY ONE - so if your bag was at the back of the pile, you sat there and waited for almost 30-45 minutes for them to call your number. INSANE!

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

You know the distance from MCO to TPA is 81 miles, while MCO to ATL is 405 miles.

Orlando is Atlanta's #1 O&D air market, with packed flights every hour all day long.

[DawnW]

I would love it. There really is no great way around these areas. I currently live in Charlotte and if I want to take the train to get to Orlando, I have to take the train up to Raleigh and then back down. It is about a 20 hour trip. I can drive it in 8.

I can take the train from Atlanta to Charlotte in 5 hours though.

[krogerDisco]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Thankfully, you aren't in charge of suppressing discussion here.

And Florida's new Brightline network is actively studying the feasibility of expanding the network to Atlanta from Jacksonville.

Ok, fine. Wait for the results of the study and see if it's feasible. I'm tired of these HSR dream threads.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by krogerDisco

Ok, fine. Wait for the results of the study and see if it's feasible. I'm tired of these HSR dream threads.

Then don't read them.