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I have hoped for a long time now that passenger rail would improve in this country. It is not funded to improve as far as I am concerned, it is purposely kept at the bare essential service we now have. After the airline trip coast to coast I returned from last week, including an emergeny landing in South Carolina because the plane ran low of fuel over Atlanta, I have had it with flying. America is a land of driving, it is not just the politicians to blame for this, it is many of the american people that are the problem also. The fact that gas is climbing so high to prices we have never seen, and there is no noticeable effort to increase transit or speed up any in construction should tell people something. The USA would prefer us in cars and most citizens want it that way even if it was $10 a gallon, they would whine and whine but pay it. Of course by then crime and stealing of gas would be so out of control we would probably be shot over it, if someone wanted it. I don't know what the answer is, I was born and raised in the USA and have lived in both Europe and Japan in my life. Im sorry America but alot of your mindset I have never adopted. I believe we have no right to drive around and around while the rest of the modern world has efficient train systems and other transit options in place. The time for excuses in this country needs to come to an abrupt stop, and start growing up and face reality. We can't go on this way as just a car oriented country. Amtrak could really cash in on this gas crisis if they wanted to ,or were funded properly with expanded routes and service. Yes efficient passenger service is desperately needed in this country.
Location: The Raider Nation._ Our band kicks brass
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brikag
Japan and Europe has embraced their rail service, Why haven't we. Sure there are talks. But High-Speed rail service for regional sections should be concidered. With airplane corporations losing profits b/c the high gas costs, could we see United Rail Line or U.S. RailWays.
This is a country of free enterprise. If there was a demand, and a profit to be made, we would already have one.
What you are really asking is, "Why doesn't the Government finance a highspeed rail system?"
The answer to that is, That's not the purpose of government.
It would be next to impossible for a private company to lay out the initial funds for a system that could compete with airlines. They would have to purchase right of ways. People would drain the bank by fighting it in court every step of the way. They are all for a train, until the tracks run through their backyard.
They would then have to lay out a road bed and track. How many billions would it take to construct a single track from Chicago to New York? How long would it take to recoupe that money, when the general public feels that they are entitled to cheap travel. Nobody wants to pay what it's really worth to haul their sorry butts around.
I haven't even gotten into the enviromental impact studies, the cost of new trains, stations, employees, maintenance, and everything else that would be needed.
This is a HUGE Country with hundreds of destinations. You can't compare us to the island nation of Japan that has no natural resources. Their people are packed into a very small area. It's easy to get a large number of people that want to all go to the same place at one time.
Airlines are the best way to go. There are no tracks to maintain, and a jet can be moved to where the demand is. It's not stuck on one route.
Somebody mentioned airline subsidies. I know of some Emergency loans that were given after September 11th. Those same loans were paid back in full with interest. I don't know of any airlines being subsidized with free money in this Country. Air France, and a few other European airlines, but nothing in this Country.
If you read this with a different slant and at a different time in history we would be a country without any Interstate systems....
Thanks to those visionaries that refused to give up on that idea. Of course with that thanks we also have to remember that they we a large part of the decline of the railroads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by South Range Family
This is a country of free enterprise. If there was a demand, and a profit to be made, we would already have one.
What you are really asking is, "Why doesn't the Government finance a highspeed rail Interstate system?"
The answer to that is, That's not the purpose of government.
It would be next to impossible for a private company to lay out the initial funds for a system that could compete with airlines. They would have to purchase right of ways. People would drain the bank by fighting it in court every step of the way. They are all for a train an Interstate, until the tracks lanes run through their backyard.
They would then have to lay out a road bed and track concrete lanes. How many billions would it take to construct a single track four lane Interstate from Chicago to New York? How long would it take to recoupe that money, when the general public feels that they are entitled to cheap travel. Nobody wants to pay what it's really worth to haul their sorry butts around.
I haven't even gotten into the enviromental impact studies, the cost of new trains, stations exit ramps, interchanges, employees, maintenance, and everything else that would be needed.
This is a HUGE Country with hundreds of destinations. You can't compare us to the island nation of Japan that has no natural resources. Their people are packed into a very small area. It's easy to get a large number of people that want to all go to the same place at one time.
Airlines are the best way to go. There are no tracks roads to maintain, and a jet can be moved to where the demand is. It's not stuck on one route.
Somebody mentioned airline subsidies. I know of some Emergency loans that were given after September 11th. Those same loans were paid back in full with interest. I don't know of any airlines being subsidized with free money in this Country. Air France, and a few other European airlines, but nothing in this Country.
Location: The Raider Nation._ Our band kicks brass
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The Eisenhower interstate highway system was built for the sole purpose of moving our military rapidly across the Country. Any other use we get from it is a bonus.
It is still something completely different from bullet trains. Trains were popular 70 years ago. A better technology came along in the late 40's. People made their choices, and airplanes won. If you can get a private investor to go up against the airlines, go for it.
The Eisenhower interstate highway system was built for the sole purpose of moving our military rapidly across the Country. Any other use we get from it is a bonus.
It is still something completely different from bullet trains. Trains were popular 70 years ago. A better technology came along in the late 40's. People made their choices, and airplanes won. If you can get a private investor to go up against the airlines, go for it.
hahahaha. The interstate system was SOLD by citing the military "need." Big difference, but the same BS sales techniques still work today.
As for the rest, the airlines now actively block attempts at high peed rail, while they suck down massive public welfare in the form of airports and granted airspace, and some sort of "right" to pollute the sky.
The Texas model of high speed rail required no land as it went down the center of the interstate between Dallas -> Austin -> San Antonio -> Houston -> Dallas and back again. Southwest Airlines freaked and bribed the Texas legislature to kill it.
I would embrace the high speed trains, too. It seems that one problem is infrastructure. Most of the tracks currently wouldn't support the high speed trains. There would need to be alot of upgrading done which is costly. Its amazing that the airlines (which are private companies) get more in subsidies than AmTrak. Perhaps now with all the problems the airlines are facing, and the cost of gas, people will start pushing for the high speed trains as a viable travel option.
Most rail lines are owned by private companies as well. They make their money hauling freight, so they aren't about to turn over their rights of way to high speed rail - unless it is heavily, heavily subsidized.
What you are really asking is, "Why doesn't the Government finance a highspeed rail system?"
The answer to that is, That's not the purpose of government.
Isn't it kind of a ever changing definition of what the purpose of government is?
We subsidize billionaire owners of sports franchises to build arenas that we can't afford tickets to, but laying track is not an appropriate use?
How many billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent in wars many thousands of miles from the US, some of which was maybe none of our business?
And what is governments purpose? Paving roads? Libraries? Public Schools? Parks?
08-06-2018, 05:25 AM
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Train service limitless might end up overrated. Public transportation is not always that urgent to follow first call of priority. There are tons of other specific measures having power. For one example, how about political alliance focus on extra massive world class independent companies giving endless entertaining value to our own communities. Just can’t believe our own governing agencies isn’t offering us ample cafes coffeehouses, or nightlife bars venues: https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/what-we-do. At least there is a solid organization present. Other major issues matter way before losing our own connection to cars. I believe we have enough train rails in particular to accommodate needs in our own country. Finally, trains will absolutely never replace airplanes routes in the sky if long distance hundreds to thousands of miles. Exclusively in close adjacent proximity is the furthest at best.
It is really stupipd in our country to have such a pathetic rail system. Rail is one of the most efficient travel methods and we used to have a really good system. All that was systematically dismantled in the big oil push to turn everything over to the automobile starting in the 1950's. It is now considerably more expensive to drive than take a train.
We think we have such great technology but our rail system is pathetic.
We have a very good rail system. It operates very efficiently hauling freight and is maintenance and upgrading has been paid for by the Rail Companies (as opposed to the highway system where trucking companies get a very low cost charge for the infrastructure.
The problem is passenger rail that does not make a profit and has to be subsidized. The American public does not see a need to subsidize it.
The high-speed train service starting to be built between San Diego and Sacramento, and points in between, is an enormous waste of money.
Because, airline service has been expanded recently, with many daily trips criss-crossing airports in San Diego, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Burbank, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland. Fresno, Sacramento.
Each of these city airports listed has scheduled flights several times, and often many times daily to each other city.
And airline tickets between these cities are priced just as cheap as train tickets, and they're faster. There seems little advantage in having high-speed trains.
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