“If the train doesn’t stop there then you also have the reduced revenue of people stopping for gas or food. So very minor reduced costs (most of which is actually federal highway money anyway) and reduced area revenues as the train flies by.”
That’s a bad argument to use because someone like myself will turn it against you and ask if you oppose Interstate Highways that pass by the downtowns and etc. and that have beggared small businesses that were not wise enough to relocate near to offramps.
I’m not opposing HSR because it will pass towns. I’m opposing HSR because it’s incredibly expensive and nobody is going to ride the damn thing. I was simply pointing out that your Barstow argument lacked real world contact. Towns that get passed DO lose money, that’s a simple reality. Whether or not that’s a reason for or against a particular mode of transit all depends on if you care about that town. With or without money going to Barstow though HSR is still a pointless boondoggle costing dramatically more per track mile AND traveler mile than anything else.