Texas Hyperloop: Bullet Train all over Again (Houston, Dallas: construction, financing)

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by EDS_

There's no way to gather much funding money in advance of need and high confidence legal resolution to proceed among projects like this......IIRC CRS did raise $75 or $100 million a while back but that's pre-operational money only. Clear all that and there will be sovereign and pension funds, maybe-PE, and institutional investor monies interested......The Texas Permanent School Fund might be interested. Worldwide there is a cash glut and some of that cash is controlled by people looking for risk investment.



As an aside I'm not sure why green-types are not all over this as a means to decrease auto traffic on 45, 35 etc.

Yes, there's lots of capital out there looking for a return, but institutional investors aren't usually inclined to higher-risk assets, which this would be since there's no track record (see what I did there again?).

[Philip T]

Bullet (High-Speed-Rail) aged out before it began. We were working on the design details over 25 years ago in Grad School.

Southwest Airlines killed it with the State, way back then.

Hyperloop would kill the Airlines. Any idea why the Texas map on the site does NOT have the obvious (money maker) Dallas-Houston Link? Is that to avoid the fight with the Dinosaurs still working on HSR?

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Philip T

Bullet (High-Speed-Rail) aged out before it began. We were working on the design details over 25 years ago in Grad School.

Southwest Airlines killed it with the State, way back then.

Hyperloop would kill the Airlines. Any idea why the Texas map on the site does NOT have the obvious (money maker) Dallas-Houston Link? Is that to avoid the fight with the Dinosaurs still working on HSR?

Maybe the Hyperloop folks assumed it was going to happen and didn't want to compete? Is this website a government website, or a private one?

I don't know what fight would have happened anyway except in the marketplace, assuming the Hyperloop is fully privately funded and developed (as it should be).

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Maybe the Hyperloop folks assumed it was going to happen and didn't want to compete? Is this website a government website, or a private one?

I don't know what fight would have happened anyway except in the marketplace, assuming the Hyperloop is fully privately funded and developed (as it should be).

It's Aecom (a large engineering firm) website. This particular page was one of their "listed projects"

FYI, the bullet train isn't officially canceled, but it has lost backing from the government and lost many funds for taking so long for action.

[LocalPlanner]

Which HSR are you talking about that "lost government backing"? TCR was seeking some type of federal financing assistance, but otherwise wasn't seeking funding. They claim legal right to eminent domain under state law and so shouldn't need other government approval.

The I-35 corridor, on the other hand, was proposed as a publicly funded project, so would be all about government backing.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

It's Aecom (a large engineering firm) website. This particular page was one of their "listed projects"

FYI, the bullet train isn't officially canceled, but it has lost backing from the government and lost many funds for taking so long for action.

I can't find anything, anywhere that corroborates your last sentence. Please source the claims or stop making those claims.....or at a minimum explain what you mean more clearly.

[tewest86]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Passenger rail capital costs in the U.S. are extraordinarily higher than in other countries (lots of folks have looked into this, but there's no one single explanation as to why). And HSR capital costs are even higher than regular rail.

I don't question the demand side of their model, so long as their fares are competitive with economy air fares. But I am really skeptical that it will be enough to balance the capital cost side for a sufficient return.

Why wouldn't HSR have offered some sort a large funding round to date, even if it was contingent upon full legal approvals? It would definitely be in their political interest to publicize large capital commitments. The fact that there's been nothing on this level publicized by TCR over the number of years this project has been in process makes me even more skeptical.

Now don't quote me on this but I believe it's higher here because in other countries they are more invested in helping their fellow man, i.e. universal health care, free college, child care. Here, we have more of a I'm responsible for me and only me attitude. I believe land acquisition is a part of this. We are less likely to give up land for the greater good. We will fight it out in court and derail an entire project rather than give a RR company a 20ft easement through our property. Other countries residents are more willing to share for the greater good of their people. I hope I explained it well enough.

[NigerianNightmare]

I think for high speed rail to be successful we have to start small first. Maybe Downtown Houston to Uptown, now I understand that's probably longer getting ready to sit down and board with the Hyperloop than the actual journey there. But maybe start with regular HSR on an important journey for a short distance. All of this extravagant projects in a state that follows the religion of HSH (High Speed Highways), need to be done, but the political will isn't there to make it happen. It basically has to have massive private investment or go home.

[oceangaia]

[quote=Philip T;60528369]Bullet (High-Speed-Rail) aged out before it began. We were working on the design details over 25 years ago in Grad School.

Southwest Airlines killed it with the State, way back then./quote]

I knew someone would throw out that pro-rail propaganda eventually. SWA killed nothing, merely acted as a watchdog and made sure that TxDot followed the law that very explicitly required TGV to post bond towards their share of the public-private arrangement. TGV was unable to post the required bond on the due date because their European banks backed out. TxDot gave them an extension, can't recall if it was six months or a year, and they still couldn't come up with it.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

The competition would be more with flying, in reality, though TCR publicizes itself as an option to driving. Of course, reducing flying still has significant emissions benefits. Remember, you're not supposed to take that European vacation anymore unless you're sailing over there (and I mean on a sailboat).

I drive between AUS and DFW frequently and would kill for a HSR or HyperLoop that could do it for me rather than duking it out on I-35. I believe the trip times where HSR comes out ahead of flying is about 4 Hrs on rail and 1 Hr by air.

Originally Posted by NigerianNightmare

I think for high speed rail to be successful we have to start small first. Maybe Downtown Houston to Uptown, now I understand that's probably longer getting ready to sit down and board with the HyperLoop than the actual journey there. But maybe start with regular HSR on an important journey for a short distance. All of this extravagant projects in a state that follows the religion of HSH (High Speed Highways), need to be done, but the political will isn't there to make it happen. It basically has to have massive private investment or go home.

That wouldn’t work out too well. You would never get the HyperLoop up to full intended speed in that short journey making it so that a Heavy Rail or even Light Rail while slightly slower in this intended trip would get the job done so much cheaper. You have to use technologies for their intended purposes, The HyperLoop is not a in-town commuter. It is a inter-regional transport model.