Posted on 08/11/2010 10:52:32 AM PDT by Willie Green
Would you like to board a high-speed train in Atlanta and travel north to Nashville? Or even farther north to Chicago? Or how about Atlanta to Florida by high-speed rail?
Such travel may be available in the future, although we have not heard of any timetable.
What we have heard this week is that Georgia and Tennessee are applying for a $34 million federal grant to continue the development of high-speed rail service from Atlanta to Nashville. The Georgia DOT said the money would help speed development of the train system. The money would come from the Federal Railroad Administration under the U.S. High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program created by Congress last year.
Georgia and Tennessee already received $14 million last year to develop plans for the Atlanta to Chattanooga leg of the high speed rail service.
While the push now is on for service from Atlanta to Chattanooga and Nashville, eventually the service could stretch on to Louisville, Ky., and Chicago to the north and southward through Florida.
One day, high speed rail service will likely connect many major U.S. cities. Much like the interstate highway system was started back in the 1950s during the Eisenhower Administration, President Obama and future presidents are likely to see high speed rail service as a major component of travel alternatives throughout the country.
Japan has had the high speed bullet trains for decades. Certainly, this mode of transportation should be added to the travel mix in our country as we look for ways to reduce the number of passenger cars and trucks on our highways.
Hey, might be a good way to get privacy - since I’d be accompanied by only two or three other suckers with too much time on their hands.
Not me.
If I were there, I would take any mode of transportation to get the hell out of Atlanta but would prefer different destinations.
I would not want to visit any of these cities no matter how I got there.
As miserable as flying is these days I’d certainly consider a high-speed train.
No!
You’d have to hog tie me to get me to go to Chicago.
“What we have heard this week is that Georgia and Tennessee are applying for a $34 million federal grant to continue the development of high-speed rail service from Atlanta to Nashville.”
If that was a sound idea, VC guys would be lining up to back it ... all this money sitting around and no one spending is not a coincidence. These projects are just “union fuel” and nothing else.
Atlanta-Washington, Atlanta-Savannah, Atlanta-Orlando would be high demand routes, but what the hell, it’s just TAXPAYER MONEY!
High-speed service from one excrement-hole to another.
No one will be riding or driving anywhere except those with vouchers and subsidies. We’re broke and unemployed!
I understand the limitations of modern “education”, and the limitations of the news “reporters”, but doesn’t anybody remember an ancient invention called the airplane?
When I travel, I’m not interested in views, WIFI, etc.
All I want is to get from point A to point B in the minimum possible time... Yes, I hate the “security” screening, but the plane normally does 500 knots, and they’re already pushing screening for the train.
Just me, of course, YMMV.
Not interested...not enough traffic to justify the expenditure....
No.
Atlanta to Greenville to Charlotte is as big a commerce link (if not bigger) than Atlanta to Chattanooga to Nashville.
Or even better, Tuscaloosa to Birmingham to Auburn to Atlanta to Athens ...
**IF** one could actually hop on a train NEAR one’s house or office, and get ‘there’ in reasonable comfort and personal safety at a cost lower than airfare, it might be a good idea.
Right now I can fly round trip to ORD fr ATL for less $$ (and less time) than a ONE WAY trip to ORD by train (plus train changes).
**IF** this was available, who is the target customer? A business traveler doesn’t have the time to take ALL DAY to get to Chicago from Atlanta (pick your cities). IS this just a high speed, overly costly MARTA?
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