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High speed rail has been tried time and time again in this country. Back in the 60's they invested millions to try to get it going...and it hasn't been done. The latest push by President Skippy for it is only the latest attempt.
we are talking a time when the high price of oil makes air travel unfeasible.
At that time, high speed rail will be one of the better bets.
High speed rail has been tried time and time again in this country. Back in the 60's they invested millions to try to get it going...and it hasn't been done. The latest push by President Skippy for it is only the latest attempt.
The people with a vested interest in solutions don't want rail to succeed. For one thing, it's no longer razzle-dazzle enough for the American shock-and-awe psyche. The Europeans and the Japanese invested, also, in high speed rail, and now they have it. Americans have a defeatist attitude about everything that threatens the economic power of the well-entrenched. America doesn't have fast anything. No fast rail, no fast highways, no fast internet. Just fast food. We're so slow, we are the only country in the world where it takes 21 years to become mature enough to drink a beer. We're the laughing stock of the world, and so insulated from world opinion, we don't know it.
The smart money in the USA bets on inadequate stopgap measures that will keep medium-sized sums of money moving across tables, while nothing gets better, so big profits are made as Americans throw good money after bad.
High speed rail has worked in the USA. Acela is the only train in the US that is making money (the last year I can find, they made $41 per passenger). They're not even high speed, they average only 80 mph, which ordinary trains were doing in Europe in the 1960s.
The people with a vested interest in solutions don't want rail to succeed. For one thing, it's no longer razzle-dazzle enough for the American shock-and-awe psyche. The Europeans and the Japanese invested, also, in high speed rail, and now they have it. Americans have a defeatist attitude about everything that threatens the economic power of the well-entrenched. America doesn't have fast anything. No fast rail, no fast highways, no fast internet. Just fast food. We're so slow, we are the only country in the world where it takes 21 years to become mature enough to drink a beer. We're the laughing stock of the world, and so insulated from world opinion, we don't know it.
The smart money in the USA bets on inadequate stopgap measures that will keep medium-sized sums of money moving across tables, while nothing gets better, so big profits are made as Americans throw good money after bad.
High speed rail has worked in the USA. Acela is the only train in the US that is making money (the last year I can find, they made $41 per passenger). They're not even high speed, they average only 80 mph, which ordinary trains were doing in Europe in the 1960s.
Honestly...I think light rail is great. For example, I use the metro in St. Louis to go to baseball games--it's great being able to get on at the airport and riding it downtown.
I haven't seen though, that people are really willing to ride trains cross country. Maybe it is a cultural thing, but so far it just hasn't really worked here.
Well actually, I was thinking about a train that has a "people" car or two or three, depending on the demand. Maybe next time I see my brother-in-law, I'll ask if it's feasible. He is an engineer. Might not see him until Thanksgiving...
But I have heard a lot of chatter about completely automating freeways and so forth. Same thing in China, due to the huge traffic jams they have.
Well actually, I was thinking about a train that has a "people" car or two or three, depending on the demand. Maybe next time I see my brother-in-law, I'll ask if it's feasible. He is an engineer. Might not see him until Thanksgiving...
But I have heard a lot of chatter about completely automating freeways and so forth. Same thing in China, due to the huge traffic jams they have.
I (with mother and sister) once went to Colorado from Texas on a train. Anybody not in a hurry can can do that. I guess these days, everybody is in a hurry.
I (with mother and sister) once went to Colorado from Texas on a train. Anybody not in a hurry can can do that. I guess these days, everybody is in a hurry.
I really enjoyed riding the trains when our ship visited europe especially when we took the one from Monte Carlo on the edge of the cliffs along the mediterranean over on to Cannes, France as they were friggin awesome
Too bad there's no passenger train service all through out the rocky mountains in this country.
I (with mother and sister) once went to Colorado from Texas on a train. Anybody not in a hurry can can do that. I guess these days, everybody is in a hurry.
I am looking forward to nearly 50 hours of train time in an upcoming vacation to Europe and Asia next month! Would do that here, but it is a hassle here and convenience there.
I really enjoyed riding the trains when our ship visited europe especially when we took the one from Monte Carlo on the edge of the cliffs along the mediterranean over on to Cannes, France as they were friggin awesome
Too bad there's no passenger train service all through out the rocky mountains in this country.
That's an idea. The traffic through the mountains might be packed. There are a number of trains in Alaska.
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