Posted on 04/23/2010 11:21:29 AM PDT by Willie Green
Like the gleam on the tracks from an oncoming locomotive, high-speed rail transportation in the United States may be finally coming into sight. Before the end of the decade, rail backers promise, Americans will be traveling on bullet trains, the way Europeans and Asians have been doing for half a century. At speeds of up to 220 mph, high-speed rail will make it possible to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours, or half the time it takes to drive. Tampa to Orlando will take less than an hour, or 35 percent faster than by car. You'll be able to get from Chicago to St. Louis in less time than it takes to fly -- after you factor in the hours spent getting to and from distant airports and the hassle of getting through security 90 minutes before your flight.
The myriad benefits of high-speed rail have long been apparent to anyone who has ridden Japan's Shinkansen trains or France's TGV. These so-called bullet trains are faster than driving, more comfortable and convenient for short distances than flying and, because they run on electricity, don't rely on foreign oil imports. Trains arrive in downtown city centers and are usually linked to public transit.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
So, you're against high-speed trains because a subway was attacked, and twelve commuters were killed?
Regards,
We are pointing out that trains have been targets of terror attacks in the past.
You really are being obtuse here, and it shows. We're not interesting in being a country of Euroweenies like you live in, so take it elsewhere.
I can't imagine anyone flying to a destination within a four to five hour driving range;the time spent preparing for a flight ,getting to the airport 2 hours early as suggested,security screening and abuse,more time spent deplaning,renting a car or being met,etc.
Trains make sense for moving large quantities of material in stable patterns,not so much for a population as mobile as Americans have become.
Of course the European mindset is jealous of such freedom.
Thanks for taking this discussion to a new level. A little abuse and an ad hominem attack always help a debate.
Regards,
You left out the biggest reason.
With thousand of miles of track there is zero reason to plant explosives on the train instead.
Just stop a truck bomb on the rails
They are communter trains, no? Above ground or below, high speed or slow. The point is that a commuter rail system is as vulnerable to an attack (if not more so) than commercial aviation.
For some areas in the US, a high speed rail system might make sense if it is not a government project.
It is a straight drive on the Interstate as is, and NO ONE COMMUTES BETWEEN THE TWO ANYWAY AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Then who's in all those cars crawling bumper-to-bumper along the Interstate at a snails pace?
That's not supposed to be a 60-mile long parking lot full of empty cars, you know.
But I live three blocks from the train station and am physically able of carrying 30-40 pound duffle bags to the train.
That is not a normal situation for most persons, especially those with children.
I took amtrak from Atlanta to NC one time. Worst experience of my life. Four hour delay leaving the station and then it would stop for no apparent reason every few miles. It took around 11 hours to go 280 miles. I imagine these “bullet trains” will be just as bad.
In your case, it wasn't an ad hominem attack, but an accurate assessment of your posts.
Air Force Launches Hypersonic Glider Over Pacific (WLBT ^ | Apr 23, 2010)
The Air Force has launched an experimental hypersonic glider able to travel more than 4,000 miles in 30 minutes over the Pacific Ocean.
[Here’s a novel idea. If the people in Miami think they’d benefit from a monorail, let the people who benefit from it pay for it.]
I’ll try to remember that when I pay my gasoline taxes to pay for the roads you use.
The FEDERAL GOVT paid for the interstate highway system in the 50’s, not the local residents that were located where the roads were built. The roads were built based on where the powerful congressmen were located, not where the most effect was realized.
I gladly pay for certain things in the federal budget that I will never utilize.
And if it’s such a big deal, fine, front the money and let the ticket prices have a surcharge that will pay it off. I dno’t know where you live, but I can pretty much guarantee my town didn’t see any stimulus money, since we are a red town.
Greenies don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to their own movement.
I see that humility, fairness, and absolute objectivity are further qualities you possess in abundance.
Regards,
You don’t even need explosives. Just pull out the spikes on the outside rail of a curve. As long as you don’t break the rail the signals will all stay green. A light weight train derailment at 200 miles per hour isn’t a whole lot different from a plane crash. Go look at pictures from the ICE wreck when it piled up under a highway bridge.
[It is a straight drive on the Interstate as is, and NO ONE COMMUTES BETWEEN THE TWO ANYWAY AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Then who’s in all those cars crawling bumper-to-bumper along the Interstate at a snails pace?
That’s not supposed to be a 60-mile long parking lot full of empty cars, you know. ]
Willie, I don’t know where you live but I do live in Florida. The only time you get those backups is if there is a major accident. People don’t live in Tampa and commute to Orlando, and vice-versa.
Those who work in Orlando commute from the suburbs, hence my first post. Same thing in Tampa. There already is a rail line between Tampa and Kissimmee (3 miles from downtown Orlando). IT ISN’T USED!!
Not that facts should ever be permitted to get into the way of an argument supporting greater socialization of the US economy, but the federal government didn’t build interstate highways in the 1950’s. Superhighways in the 50’s were built by the states. The construction cost was financed through the sale of bonds into the private marketplace.
You don’t even need to do that. Weld a “derail” on the track.
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