Who knows, this Texas train might get built with only a little taxpayer money.
Posted on 03/14/2017 2:33:48 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Why, so Washington can tax and regulate it to death?
Friend sent me design specs for flying cards especially for seniors. Will be equipped with an orange flag on the left rear and it’s right turn signal light will be programmed to remain on for the duration of the flight.
Who knows, this Texas train might get built with only a little taxpayer money.
Who is going to ride it?
What keeps them going in Japan is that all the work is in Tokyo, and employers subsidize the train cards.
Who will pay for a train ride from Dallas through College Station to Houston? Well, lots of Aggies during winning seasons.
There is a bus service called Vonlane that takes a full size bus, puts in first class seating and drives from Love Field to downtown Houston.
But I understand that it is only private money.
“Well, lots of Aggies during winning seasons.”
To keep a train running, you need a certain level of ridership every day, week in and week out.
I am trying to have and opinion.....yea or nay.............I don’t yet.
“They need to quit pouring all this money into high-speed trains and instead focus on flying cars.”
Or spend 5% of the money this boondoggle will cost to add a lane or two to I-45...and then build parking lots for Megabus, so people can go between the cities for $5 instead of $80.
...but then again, nothing GLAMOROUS about doing that.
Trust me, this is one battle that Texans would be better off losing...there is NO MARKET for the train, unless you consider someone that lives in downtown Houston needing to go to downtown Dallas.
Otherwise, simply fly - two airports with full-up supporting infrastructure (i.e., rental cars, easy freeway access to get anywhere in either city, etc.). Or, for people that want to spend less, spend a billion or so (at the very most) to widen I-45 and give Megabus some help in locating their stations.
I would think one of the things that would put high speed trains ahead is if they would allow CCW on their trains.
I know if there was a comparably priced, straight through train to Florida that would allow me to carry I would take it.
I will not fly unless going over seas. And that is one heck of a drive.
With a name like this negotiations will not go well with the folks along the route. Especially along the Trinity.
I hear you...but visit an airport some time and you’ll see that people that don’t fly (for whatever reasons) are a very small minority.
As it is, there are other options short of this train, particularly for such a short distance - where it will likely be quicker for most people to drive, given the overhead of dealing with a train that neither picks them up where they live nor takes them where they’re going.
“As it is, there are other options short of this train”
Yes, but none of those offers the opportunity to revel in such intensely sumptuous virtue signaling as pimping for high-speed rail.
Gee, shucks. Happy to be a part of a Texas ping.
I think I flew over Texas, once.
Might have to retire there now.
And I know that I would be in heaven.
Having the opportunity to ride the fast 200 mph trains both in Japan and China, I can tell you I became an instant fan despite being skeptical for it here in the US. They have done it right. Cabins and seats are vastly more spacious and comfortable than a plane. Smooth and very quiet. Train station...10 minutes, walk in, buy tickets and enter the train instantly. Guarantee if done right here, you will see a huge popularity and acceptance. I wish everyone who is on the borderline on this effort would have an opportunity to experience before deciding against it. Texas being done privately...
“They’ll have to go through Rock Ridge.”
And need a sh**load of dimes to do it.
L
Japan and China citizens do not have property rights.
In order for the high speed rail to go through, they will have to have the right to eminent domain. That power is only reserved for governmental entities. The rail company is private and not a government. Therefore what they are doing is illegal, trying to seize or buy private property for their toy train. Add to that, the rail system will create levees that will foul up drainage and wildlife.
And for what?
Southwest Airlines can get you across the state faster and more efficiently than any rail can. And taxpayers don’t have to pay for it.
We took a bullet train in France. We took the hovercraft from England to France, extremely uncomfortable and boring. Got on the train thinking, now this is going to be better because we will be able to see the country side. As soon as the train got out of town (I forget which town) the train dropped off into a ditch and you saw nothing the entire trip. If you are tourist and you want to see everything you can this would not be the way to do it. As I said earlier I have not made up my mind about this train in Texas.
Anyone who thinks this isn't ultimately going to be backstopped by taxpayer dollars is living in a dream world.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.