The Myth of US High Speed Rail

My Blog - Simply Shrug ^ | July 26, 2010 | PugetSoundSoldier

[KevinDavis]

Good post..

[1rudeboy]

But, but . . . building high-speed rail will result in jobs!

[Grunthor]

You are going to upset the pro-train people (ok, person) on this forum.

[Ancient Drive]

I’ve always thought of high speed rails as tax payer money black holes.

[KevinDavis]

It will bring cushy jobs for brain dead slobs..

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

ROFL

[kbennkc]

I don't know why everybody has to be in such a hurry all the time.

[cripplecreek]

They’ve wanted to start a commuter service between Ann Arbor and Detroit for a while now. Even on existing track they can’t fund a demonstration of the service. The best they can promise is a cost of around $70 per rider for what is a 35 to 40 minute drive in traffic. On existing rail it will be anything but high speed and a person can drive the distance faster and do so without needing a shuttle from the train station.

I myself seldom go more than 30 miles from home and prefer to drive when I do.

[rockrr]

When you run the numbers, it becomes painfully obvious why high speed rail should be shunned in the US - it simply does not make sense.

Especially when you're talking retro-fit. The real estate costs are brutal.

[pnh102]

Don’t worry. We just need massive gas tax increases to cover the cost of unprofitable rail lines! :)

[skr]

Very interesting.

[dr_who]

Bump

[driftdiver]

They are starting construction on a high speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando. The group building the train stated the ticket prices will be $30/ seat one way.

The train will stop at Disney and not go into Orlando proper.

A round trip ticket from Tampa to Disney will cost $240 and take just as long as driving.

[narses]

Willie Green, Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi are all saddened by this factual post.

[RayChuang88]

Here’s the problem in the USA: we already have a form of low-cost high-speed transportation—it’s called Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Since Southwest and JetBlue fly to airports closer to destinations (for example, Southwest uses Midway Airport in Chicago and Love Field in Dallas, both much closer to city centers), the so-called advantage of high-speed rail of downtown to downtown is quite low.

[nmh]

“But, but . . . building high-speed rail will result in jobs!”

UNION JOBS!

[driftdiver]

Round trip ticket for a family of four, that should be.

[LukeL]

I take a bus to my university for class and I hate every minute of it. The reason I do this is that parking is expensive and if you aren't lucky to get a stop in a parking structure you risk getting your car broken into.

The only time I would take a train would be as a novelty as driving in the long run is always cheaper.

[nmh]

“I’ve always thought of high speed rails as tax payer money black holes.”

In the U.S. UNIONS will see to it that, that happens.