High Speed Rail System

[JMMendez1989]

Well I've always been a huge fan of it. I've seen report after report that it will create numerous permanent jobs. The Highway is done, other then parts here and there. So why not focus on Public Transportation through High Speed Rail Systems. Its kind of a dream of mine. Anyone here hoping like me President Obama makes strides in it?

[unpossibles]

1. I would love it.

I live in NYC so enjoy the benefits of a good rail system, and I wish it were more wide-spread and faster.

[JMMendez1989]

3. Lucky

Lucky. I had to walk to the store the other day and it was a long walk AND I got blisters from walking in the rain. Thats one of the many reasons I want it.

[Forkboy]

2. I would love to see it happen.

Which means it won't. x(

[NYC_SKP]

4. Yes, indeed. Rail is many times more efficient than auto and especially air travel.

Please visit our other forums, you might like the Environment/Energy Forum, for example.

Topic Forums: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=204

Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I've travelled a lot on European railways, and love the idea...

of more rail here.

But, the costs are astronomical-- buying rights of way and building the systems from scratch at a time when we're stretched thin enough already doesn't seem in the cards.

And, yes, we do have to build the systems from scratch. AMTRAK has little, if any, track of its own and rents from other systems. To go high speed means they have to have their own track.

[marlakay]

6. I know Biden is pushing for it

but so much is going on I think they have to get health care going and the war settled down.

[Slobahonnis]

7. Why not?

I live in Houston, TX. I travel a lot to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc. I'd love to see high speed rail links between those cities. So would many other business travellers. Even the ones who would call it "communist" or "socialist" or "fascist" or whatever would use it a lot. Kind of like Medicare.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. We need to catch up with the rest of the civilized world:

France, Germany, the Eurostar between London and Paris, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China...

[Lorien]

9. I've been advocating a Nation high speed MagLev system with light rail

connectors for years now. The State of Florida has had several votes on the matter; the last one mandated that the state build the system. The demand is HUGE down here, but the legislature keeps saying they "don't have the funding". Amazing how we can always find the money when a bank needs a bailout or the people at the top want to start a war of choice, but there are never enough funds for projects that would actually accomplish something that would benefit ALL of us!

[ChoppinBroccoli]

10. Michael Moore Talked About This On Howard Stern This Morning

He actually made a good point. I'd never really thought about it before. His exact quote was, "Why the fuck don't we have a bullet train in this country? Japan's had a bullet train for 40 years, and they don't even need one. They live on a small island. If we had a bullet train in this country, you could get from New York to L.A. in 10 hours ON THE GROUND."

It's a good point. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I love my car, and I love to drive. However, I've often said that if there were some sort of train, like a subway, or the elevated trains in Chicago, that I could ride, that would pick me up somewhere near my house and drop me off right in front of the courthouse (which is where I commute to almost every morning), I'd ride it. And every lawyer I've made this comment to lately has agreed with me. Columbus spends a lot of many on their city buses, but I think it would be worthwhile to consider moving toward a cleaner, faster alternative.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. Ten hours might be a bit optimistic

unless maglev technology develops further.

The fastest Shinkansen goes from Tokyo to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, a distance of slightly less than 700 miles, in five hours. So it would take about 25 hours to cross the country with current high-speed technology. That's still faster--and more relaxing--than driving. You can sleep, read, get up and walk around, meet your fellow passengers in the bar car, or just watch the scenery go by, all without having to stop.

For distances of 600 miles or less, high-speed rail is the way to go, especially since you don't have to drive out to the airport, stand in a long line to check in, stand in another long line to go through security, be strapped into a seat designed for underweight twelve-year-olds, sit on the runway at your destination till an arrival gate is ready, stand around at baggage claim, and then either rent a car or find the bus to get into town. High-speed rail takes you downtown to downtown.

[XemaSab]

11. I'd love to see a hybrid system where you could drive your car onto the train

then drive it off at the other end.

I'd love to take the train places, but half of the problem with train travel is navigating around once you get there. :(

[charlie]

13. The ideal solution for that

is more public transport, which is of course even more pie-in-the-sky and costly. I've been spoiled by years in Japan, where the most remote backwater can be conveniently reached and explored without a car. High speed rail is their interstate, a baroque nest of regional train services are their highways, and bus and subway are local transport. All hyper-efficient, with arrival times like 8:07 and 12:02. They do have a road system like our interstate, but it's entirely a toll road, and very pricey.

[comtec]

16. Or better, rent a hybrid/electric on the other end

I remember years ago in the SF Bay Area they looked at a pilot program.
You could ride BART where ever, and a handful of stations - Like Walnut Creek - had electrics you could rent.
You drive the car to BART in the morning, someone else drives it as needed during the day, and you drive another car home - all electric.

The WC station has has a variety of electric chargers for at least 15 years now - back before a universal charge connector could be decided on.

Sadly it died when the boom died. with * in office, and the gubernator ruining anything slightly pale green, it was doomed.

Too bad, because iirc, the cars were booked solid!

[earth mom]

12. I'm all for a European Style High Speed Rail System...

but does anyone think that the car makers and the oil companies aren't going lobby like hell against it?!

The Health Care industries-insurance, pharma, medical-have FUBARed Universal Health Care.

The auto & oil giants will do the exact same thing to a proposed high speed rail system.

This country is so backward it ain't funny.

[Kablooie]

14. Why has no one ever developed a Gumby style train system where the tracks follow under the train?

It would save a lot on raw materials

[stuball111]

15. Naw... a pneumatic tube...

you know, like the ones at drive through banks? just a big, long plastic tube that goes across country, pushed along with compressed air. You just jump in a little cylinder, close the door, and drop into the tube, and poof! you're gone across country! When you get to your destination, a valve opens and spits you out into the station in Omaha, Chicago, NYC or buttfuck Kansas!

[saltpoint]

17. Ok by me.

Sooner the better would be my preferred time-table.

Welcome to DU.

[Selatius]

18. The construction effort alone would put millions of workers and engineers back to work.

If we could connect most of the major cities together, it would make intra-continental travel and package deliver in anything other than a plane far faster than is currently achievable. Even after construction is complete, you would still need crews all over the place to maintain the rails, maintain the trains themselves, and handle the passengers and luggage. This would represent an untold number of jobs. Also, such a system would help move people around without the unhealthy problem of grid-lock and the noise and air pollution that arise from that.

We could convince the American people that it is a good idea. You just need REALLY GOOD advertising. Here is an awesome example, a little presentation if you will:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6tgKT-u1Q

[Pab Sungenis]

25. There's part of the problem.

"It would connect most of the major cities together."

Too many politicians in this country, on both sides of the aisle, benefit too much by driving wedges between, say, Boston and Atlanta, or Wichita and San Francisco.

If it's too convenient to travel between, and interact with, other parts of the country too many politicians would be out of work.

[donheld]

19. Bring it on

[tabbycat31]

20. I'd love it

[steelmania75]

21. I would love to see high speed rail that goes all over the country

That and FDR's proposed 2nd Bill of Rights.

[Quixote1818]

22. And bring back the luxury cars they had in the 40's and 50's. nt

[anonymous171]

23. How about we start with city to city rail and move from there?