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California has done irreparable damage to any HSR initiatives due to it's grotesque cost overruns, legal battles, corruption, and incompetence, CHSR is the poster child of how not to build HSR. It has made HSR an easy target for politicians who don't want it.
The problem is that it is the only one Americans really can think of one talking about the subject. Florida's Brightline, while offering good service and light years ahead of what Amtrak does, is not, under any stretch of the imagination, HSR. Technically the Acela is but only for a few km and is VERY expensive to take.
Another big hurdle for the US is how pathetic the urban transit systems are that would connect to the line. Outside of the Atlantic Seaboard, and a few other cities, transit is associated with poverty, blacks, crime, disrepair and poor upkeep. Many would be tempted to take HSR but not take transit to either get there or leave from. It's like commuter rail. It doesn't have the negative stigma of transit but has to have huge suburban parking garages to get the station and is only good for those going right downtown.
If anyone has ridden high speed trains, they know that the rail infrastructure in the US is simply not suitable for HSR. The cost of HSR will make it impossible to install as a national system. Express trains (not HSR) could run on dedicated routes to selected hub cities with light rail feeder lines. I saw that work in Europe. What we need are more routes and more trains running on reliable and frequent schedules. That will increase the ridership more than a few highspeed trains.
Personally, I’d be happy with reliable medium speed rail.
Commuter rail to Boston is showing up here by the end of the year. 50 miles as the crow flies. The train ride will probably be 90 minutes. It should be autonomous express rail that takes 25 minutes. Instead, it’s early 20th century technology.
Similarly, I have Acela booked next week from Providence to NYC. It’s a 3 hour 18 minute ride. On a weekend, I can drive it faster. It’s the busiest Amtrak route in the country and the rail infrastructure in Connecticut and New York is pathetic.
Personally, I’d be happy with reliable medium speed rail.
Commuter rail to Boston is showing up here by the end of the year. 50 miles as the crow flies. The train ride will probably be 90 minutes. It should be autonomous express rail that takes 25 minutes. Instead, it’s early 20th century technology.
Similarly, I have Acela booked next week from Providence to NYC. It’s a 3 hour 18 minute ride. On a weekend, I can drive it faster. It’s the busiest Amtrak route in the country and the rail infrastructure in Connecticut and New York is pathetic.
There are some rich towns in Connecticut that the rail has to go around of, so the route is unnecessary longer.
In the US, a small town of a few thousand people can sue and prevent a road running through it effecting tens of millions of people.
There are some rich towns in Connecticut that the rail has to go around of, so the route is unnecessary longer.
In the US, a small town of a few thousand people can sue and prevent a road running through it effecting tens of millions of people.
it's more than that (though the latter point is spot on for what it can't change).
1) Eastern CT is known as the shore line because it follows the shore line, this is what adds mileage. in the old days you transferred to boats in places like stonington, CT or New London CT...the shoreline retains this legacy. the new haven rr actually bought right of way to build a higher speed line but ended up selling it off to the state for 95
2) Western CT/MTA territory is probably the worst. For no good reason speeds are mostly restricted to 60 mph, far below not only HSR but standard NEC speeds. this is the biggest reason why Amtrak never achieved its goal of 3h NY to Boston.
Climate change means steel tracks that buckle in the heat, like Germeny's did some years ago. The national rail company had to call out masses of buses to rescue stranded rail passengers that summer.
Investing billions in HSR is a waste of $$. If Germany, a top steel manufacturer and engineering brainiac nation can't build tracks to withstand high temps, who can?
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