Johnny Canal!
Why not just go for high speed boats and cut channels across America too? The rail system in this country is not great, in fact, it barely gets freight there now. So, we are now going to load onto a high speed rail that will require laying more trackage while freight gets a back seat?
The average voter here is a dope too. I heard an exchange on the radio yesterday between some dim bulb who said she supported it because she would be able to do weekends in Miami and return to NYC. When the moderator said, at best and at top speed, it would take 12 hours by train verses 3 by air, she was undaunted. Furthermore, if any of these systems had to be supported entirely by the fare box, a trip would cost in the 100s of thousands to boot.
One line that is proposed is from San Diego to Sacramento. Anyone care to guess how much the public is looking for such a route? Maybe if it hooks up with the Tijuana Trolley it might be a benefit so those illegal aliens can get themselves to their political base, otherwise, another complete waste of money.
Y'mean, like-- canals?
We did that already. They got replaced by--trains.
Why can't normal people accept that trains have been replaced by personal vehicles...that's progress, as they say.
There would be a market for a well run (might be inconsistent with the government proposals!) high speed train with reasonable fares on that route. From what I've read, high speed trains run from 120 to 250 mph, depending on the track and the system. San Francisco is about 350 miles from LA, so a three hour trip would be very competitive with air travel, and from my previous rail trips, far more comfortable (large comfortable seats, with plenty of room to recline, and a footrest.).
The flight itself is about an hour, but getting to the airport in LA can be a major hassle, and you waste an hour at the airport. An LA to San Diego route might be even more popular - about 125 miles, and the traffic is horrible. A 1 1/2 to 2 hour train ride to San Diego would have lots of takers. As a disclaimer, I don't know the economics of running a rail line, so whether it would be profitable or not for a private company I can't say. But I can say that if the ticket were reasonably priced, they would have lots of customers.
Johnny Canal!