Posted on 01/18/2012 7:48:57 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB
E.R. Companion, of Eagan, writing to the editor in Sunday's Pioneer Press, wondered why our elected officials would commit to spending billions of dollars for a so-called high-speed rail line from the Twin Cities to Chicago. (Well, because they're nuts.) Companion was referring to a story that appeared Jan. 12 featuring the idea that the Minnesota Department of Transportation has begun studying environmental impacts along the 400-mile route, which would take passengers to Chicago, through Milwaukee, in an advertised five hours and 30 minutes.
Companion wondered what was high-speed about that, and I could not agree more with his sentiment. Or maybe her sentiment.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
Paging Willie Green
High speed rail: It beats walking
To progressives, the best thing about railroads is that people riding them are not in automobiles, which are subversive of the deference on which progressivism depends. Automobiles go hither and yon, wherever and whenever the driver desires, without timetables. Automobiles encourage people to think they—unsupervised, untutored, and unscripted—are masters of their fates. The automobile encourages people in delusions of adequacy, which make them resistant to government by experts who know what choices people should make.
Time was, the progressive cry was "Workers of the world unite!" or "Power to the people!" Now it is less resonant: "All aboard!"
-Will nails that one.
looks good on a map except for one little thing... hardly anybody ever travels from Cleveland to Cincinnati or vice versa. And if they do, I-71 is faster, cheaper and more efficient.
This is as dumb as the Kalifornia Hi-Speed Rail project.
>Note that both are in Dumbocrat states with Union support.
The Milwaukee Road ran high speed passenger trains between the Twin Cities and Chicago until maybe 1950. The steam locomotives pulling these trains could cruise at 100 mph and had a top speed of 120.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/streamlined/scrapped/hiawatha-3.jpg
http://www.germansteam.co.uk/FastestLoco/fastestloco.html#MR1
Not a cent of tax money was required. The railroads found it profitable to invest in fast passenger trains in that era. It’s not profitable today.
Why would anyone in their right mind be in a hurry to get to Chicago?
Gosh I love Joe. I can’t believe I’ve been listening to him for 25 years.
Reusse too of cource. The two worst radio voices in history.
Gosh I love Joe. I can’t believe I’ve been listening to him for 25 years.
Reusse too of cource. The two worst radio voices in history.
If you lived in Detroit...
Mystery Train - How has California’s high-speed rail project survived for 14 years . . .?
http://reason.com/archives/2010/07/13/mystery-train
Meanwhile, the California Assembly still can’t figure out why California is broke!
All hail the Flashlight King.
The way I see it, taxpayer subsidized transit in all forms stifles the market. One can only wonder what better forms of transit would exist in a free and open market.
How many billions of dollars to get there in 5 1/2 hours when you can fly it in an hour or drive it in 7 hours? The Democrats just love to flush money down the sewer.
Intercity Bus holds some promise there. Gives that “leave the driving to us” factor that some of the commenters were commenting upon below the story.
Oh, the Calif ASSembly knows but thy just don’t give a frack.
Is Obama going to FORCE Wisconsin to build the slow speed rail? I hope not.
The Milwaukee Road ran high speed passenger trains between the Twin Cities and Chicago until maybe 1950
Right cities but rwo railroads. The Hiawatha (Burlington/Northern RR) (Diesel) and the 400 (Diesel) (NorthWestern RR) so named because it took 400 minutes (6.6 hours) between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Took the 400 often between a small town Adams WI and Chicago and was on its last run.. Great ride in luxury.
At the time beat the hell out of driving the 8 hours to get to either Chicago/Adams WI locations. If it was still around would use it because it equals todays driving time which is about 4 hours on Xways. BTW government regs lowered speeds to 78 mph on existing track most trains can run faster but I believe they are governerd
There are already multiple bus runs between Minneapolis and Chicago already.
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