The Germans are doing it: using crowd-funding to help finance a start-up passenger rail service between Berlin and Stuttgart, in competition with DB. Their selling point is "a little slower than ICE and faster than the bus".
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/open-access-operator-locomore-reaches-crowd-funding-target.html
The service will use refurbished InterCity coaches and electric traction, offering 1 round trip per day, starting in September.
125 mph is a heck of a lot faster than here. The refurbished compartment coaches are no treat, however.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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