Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Okay, let's say that investing money in brand new high-speed rail infrastructure the way Europe has done is a complicated matter that requires a lot of studies and responsibility, in addition to costs.  European countries have done a great job, and I only wish the U.S. could do the same.But take a look at such countries as Russia, China, or India.  They don't have European or Japanese high-speed trains, but they adequately invest in maintaining their old rail infrastructure.  I have never been to China or India, but I can say that Russia has a reliable and passenger-friendly passenger rail system with frequent services, in spite of the country's large size.  And, yes, they do have commercial airlines as well.  But railroad's market share is high enough.  Speaking of the existing railroad infrastructure in America,  whoever rode Amtrak's long-distance trains can say that the speed can be pretty high even on freight-owned tracks.  You may complain about the [i]average[/i] speed, which is a result of freight congestion.  Those who travel from Denver to New Orleans via Chicago can claim that their [i]average[/i] speed is too low, for an obvious reason.  These are separate issues that can and should be addressed by those who care about Amtrak services.  But, as long as there are no delays and you are traveling on a straight route between your own origin and destination, the train can run fast enough to compete with autos.  Therefore, I believe that even if we take Russia/China/India (rather than Europe) as a role model for now, we will still benefit.  Of course, European-style high-speed rail should eventually have its place in America as well.  But, at least, it's worth to start with small things, which is bringing the existing rail infrastructure back to the state of a good repair, and expanding Amtrak services on it.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag