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High speed in other countries is averaging $216 million per mile, and the campaign for high speed rail in the US suggest 17,000 miles of high speed rail would be needed. If you times $216 million and 17,000, you come up with a tax bill of three trillion six hundred seventy-two billion.
The difference is, however, that here in the US there would be thirty years of court cases brought against it by the NIMBY and environmental lobbies. The US could never build such a system for as little as $216 million per mile.
better off sticking to automobiles... we already have the infrastructure in place. Once we can perfect self driving cars for places like rural interstates long distance travel will be nicer.
I can't see a high speed rail system ever paying for itself and being more of a niche item than anything....
better off sticking to automobiles... we already have the infrastructure in place. Once we can perfect self driving cars for places like rural interstates long distance travel will be nicer.
I can't see a high speed rail system ever paying for itself and being more of a niche item than anything....
Actually running high speed rail along highway routes probably makes the most sense.
High speed rail makes sense in European countries because they are small. The US is so vast that high speed rail at the national level would be significantly slower than flying and, consequently, would probably be less popular. It might work on a regional level though.
The Chinese are building a high speed rail system of some 28,500 miles serving all of metropolitan China and with planned extentions to Singapore via Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, to Europe via Kazahkstan and Russia and along the silk route to the Middle East (i.e Iran) . There is a nice Youtube video showing the 2,200 mile 7 hour CHR (China Highspeed Rail) trip from the Beijing South Rail station (a giant modern rail station at least 4 times larger than NY's Grand Central Station) to Guanzhou (Canton) via Wuhan. I found it eye opening. The Chinese started building these trains based on the German ICE system of Siemans in 2003 and plan to have it complete by 2017. It is estinmated its cost will be over 500 billion dollars. It shows what a little willpower and hard work can accomplish. When finished it will be about twice the length of all highspeed rail systems in Europe.
The Chinese started building these trains based on the German ICE system of Siemans in 2003 and plan to have it complete by 2017. It is estinmated its cost will be over 500 billion dollars. It shows what a little willpower and hard work can accomplish. When finished it will be about twice the length of all highspeed rail systems in Europe.
Quoted for emphasis.
Here in the US, it would take many decades to build en equivalent system, at many times the cost.
I doubt we could even acquire the necessary land for the right-of-way, in that kind of time span. Let alone move the first yard of dirt.
What Is your opinion on funding the new high speed rail program? Liberals are for it due to the fact that it would be environmentally friendly, while conservatives on the other hand think it is useless spending. I personally am a HUGE fan of it (due to the pro urban trend it would help set up).
It is useless spending, a vast waste of resources and a horrible waste of money.
It is useless spending, a vast waste of resources and a horrible waste of money.
So it is right up the democrats alley.
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