NOV 17

If the USHSR wants to be taken seriously, they are going to have to be more realistic. Few of these links have even the potential to be cost-effective.
For example, how many people are really going to ride from Boise to Seattle or Salt Lake? Or Denver to Albuquerque? Or Albuquerque to Dallas? These lines would be a waste of tens of billions of dollars that can be spent elsewhere.
As I see it, the only lines that really have enough population density to justify HSR are on the Northeast Corridor and California. Let's build those lines first and if they break even economically, then we can try other lines. If not, then we can admit that it was just another good idea that did not work.
But just trying to build everywhere to make a "beautiful" map is the best way to kill public support for HSR.

as people become more fed up with the TSA's invasive screening processes and airlines increasing fees, people will be turning to alternatives to air travel. i foresee a spike in rail and bus travel in the next few years.

What is the point of spending half a trillion in order to build railroads on a vast country like US and to travel at the 1/3 of the speed of an airplane (at best) ?

The smart way is to spend 1/10 of that money on research and development: cheaper and cleaner fuel, more efficient batteries and supercapacitors etc.

Why is it that every discussion of expanding passenger rail inevitably features a comment along the lines of "It will never be profitable, so we shouldn't do it?" I invite these commenters to show me an interstate highway that turns a profit. Maybe if we put a hefty tax on gasoline, it might. Or perhaps to compare apples to apples, imagine that there is no FAA or TSA, or any other federal agency that supports airlines, and then factor the entire cost of providing safety and security for your flights into your next airline ticket? The fact is that rail is an efficient and cost effective way to travel over moderately long distances, but the dialogue has been hijacked by people who insist that trains be run as a for profit enterprise instead of a public service.

I wonder if high speed rail for the west would make more sense if the west were organized this way? http://www.aqueousadvisors.com/blog/?p=301

Okay people, High Speed Rail is DUMB! Interstates are funded by gas taxes and do break even. There are 'security' fees added to every ticket.

Lets take Japan, which high speed rail. That county has 3-4 times of the population of California and is smaller than California. In order to HSR to be as effective as Japan you need 3-4 times the population density! HSR WILL NEVER WORK in a country like the US because we are too big!

FAR better to spend that kind of money on intrastate rail and metro projects.

I am sure the most negative responses are for people that have never been on a train, traveled by train or in some cases even seen a train other than in passing. Air travel shoves you into a tiny seat where you rub elbows with the next person and eat what I consider the most awful food on the planet. Do you WANT this? Even on the most crowded of long-run trains there is room to stretch your legs. Speed is important yes but I see comfort and total cost of ownership will win in the end.

I agree with Drol. Airplains are fast but also extremely expensive and uncomfortable. Cars are too slow and dangrous on trips long enough to make the driver sleepy. High speed rail could be a good compromise, faster than a car but without the stress of driving, more comfortable and (hopefully) less expensive than an airplane. A train also offers a more intimate experience of traveling through the countryside than a plane, and it's probably better for the environment than burning all that jet fuel. If we had a high speed rail network, I'd definitely use it.

I've never rode on a train but my mom went cross country and said it was wonderful. Being able to see the land from ground level and the comfort and the food. It might be a little rough at first as in the red tape kind of stuff but think of all the jobs it will create and the fact that its electric and not jet fuel that's being used to run it. I'm here in San Francisco CA Bay Area and am looking forward to being in Disneyland(Anaheim) in two hours anytime I want.

Hmmm.... why does the US gov't refuse to acknowledge higher speed rails in Europe and Japan? although 110 and 220 mph is very fast, and I'd love to get to NYC from Philadelphia in about an hour, its annoying to know that Japan has had high speed rails that will be traveling faster than the ones we plan to build for quite some time :/.

You know what I love about our current society is our "can't do" spirit!!! Who needs that old pioneering American vision where everything was possible, even if it was adventurous, futuristic, and perhaps we couldn't quite see the full possibility of it at the time!! Man on the moon! Interstate highway system in the 50's!! Hogwash!! Stupidity!!! America was foolish, and they did stupid things!! Let's all stay just the way we are right now because everyone else, in their stupid high tech/alternative energy world is just fooling themselves. Big ideas can't be done!!! America won't stand for it!! We won't pay for it, we certainly won't sacrifice anything for it.

Does anyone actually know what being an American really is about?? We're supposed to be taking the lead in these things, not shooting down ideas left and right just because we're afraid of change. And yet people scoff when the idea of post-American world idea is discussed, where America is no longer a super power. It's mindsets like this that will get us there.

In light of what I had to endure on my last air trip, it was my last. Now I'll just drive to where I can catch the train, and have a leisurely trip to see my grandchildren.

Thanks Julie! Well said and unfortunately oh so true!

Both my great-Grandfather and my Grandfather worked the railroads of America in its prime. They loved their jobs and were sad to see the highway take away what they knew and enjoyed telling stories about.

I had never been on a train (other than Disney monorail) until a trip to India a few years back. I saw in real life what Grams told in their stories and I was sad I had not experienced it sooner. Went from Chenni to Bangalore on one trip, and Delhi to Agra on another. It was the most peaceful travel in my entire business trip and their train cars SUCK! (says a lot for airplanes doesn't it)

Now, these were not high speed and they were going shorter distances, but they worked wonders for the people in India. Most of their huge populations are poor and commute. Of course, their government created their rail service. Our government would have a hard time putting a model train set together. (and God forbid we do anything to ease the burden for the poor).

Unfortunately, seeing as how I live in the state that has more miles of roads (crappy as they are) per capita than any other in the US, I can see how our governors would get their panties in a wad over this idea. I HOPE THEY GET THE WEDGIE THEY DESERVE DAMN THEM! High Speed Rail Rescue us from ourselves!

BTW, I plan on retiring to a Hobo train hitching life.

Why does everybody want to look at the past? How about looking at the future? http://www.ruf.dk/ is a MODERN solution which incorporates the best of automobiles AND trains.