[Teacher317]

In Japan and Taiwan, high-speed rail systems needed government bailouts to keep operating.

If they can't make it profitable in places where train ridership looks like this, then they can never make it work in places like the US where train ridership is virtually non-existent

[hinckley buzzard]

True. Japan has an extensive rail system but only one short stretch Tokyo to Osaka IIRC is profitable. The rest is a financial sinkhole.