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I dont think we need a HIGH speedrail, as much as a better more efficient standard rail, and lite-rail
I don't think these are separate things - "more efficient standard rail" includes a limited number of HSR routes, because judicious use of HSR is one of the chief ways you gain efficiencies in the system.
I don't think these are separate things - "more efficient standard rail" includes a limited number of HSR routes, because judicious use of HSR is one of the chief ways you gain efficiencies in the system.
HIGH speed rail is for LONG distances...but who is really going to ride a maine to miami with no stops...even with a few stops (ie portland to boston to NYC to DC to richmand to savannah to miami) the wear and tear on the high speed train is very costly
the biggest wear and tear of rail is the accelleration , declleration
I can go out right now and walk a mile of CSX (freight) rail and spot a 1000 ties that need to be replaced
sorry but the current flavor of the week 'high speed rail' is not what we need as much as QUALITY and EFFICEINT rail, and lite-rail systens with in the short distance
how can we even talk about high speed, if we cant do the standard rail, and lite-rail well
how can we even talk about high speed rail , if we ( both private (CSX) and government(Amtrac, MTA)) CAN'T PROPERLY MAINTAIN the current track that has been laid
just last month there was a derailment in KY
Last edited by workingclasshero; 12-02-2012 at 12:08 PM..
And one HSR network has been developing in this nation since 1960; two more have emerged over the past several years.
The biggest single obstacle currently faced by the West Coast network is what railroaders refer to as the "Tehachapi bottleneck" -- a stretch between Bakersfield and Mojave currently occupied by an overloaded Union (nee' Southern) Pacific freight route which has to share "trackage rights" with rival Burlington Northern Santa Fe. (That agreement, BTW, specifically forbade passenger service of former tenant Santa Fe from using the route, which led to development of a successful Bakersfield-based bus hub which served most of the Southland until 1971, and was reinstated after a three-year hiatus in 1974; it has since tripled in frequency.)
BNSF is 100% owned by "progressive" Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway. What is to prevent BNSF and Caltrans from cooperating on two separate, but paralell lines skirting the "Tehachapi Loop" on a route whaich has already been surveyed?
Can you say NIMBY, my children? There goes a few million more.
In reality. this writer strongly suspects that some of those who participated in the last round of negotiation -- which at least had the effect of commencing work on an upgrade to 110 MPH speeds Bakersfield-Fresno-Merced -- had exactly this development in mind.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 12-02-2012 at 01:19 PM..
Still only 144 deaths in accidents in the history of high speed rail is not much.
There are more car accidents per day than that.
Also, that's about as many aviation deaths there are per year.
Most of the rail travel won't be high speed.
I'm a fan of rail in the right setting. We'd be better off focusing on public transport at the regional level and leaving the long-haul to airplanes. Greater long-term energy savings and less damaging to the environment.
And each state or region should decide and fund the projects that benefit it the most.
I do think that for cross country there should be aviation, but in the dense northeast, and California, I believe that we should build a high speed rail network.
I'm a fan of rail in the right setting. We'd be better off focusing on public transport at the regional level and leaving the long-haul to airplanes. Greater long-term energy savings and less damaging to the environment.
And each state or region should decide and fund the projects that benefit it the most.
How do you know most of the rail travel won't be high speed? --- I thought it was high speed rail that is being proposed.
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