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High speed rail...why? Locked

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  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 4:44 PM

The NorthEast Corridor, for all its foibles, is already competive with airlines.  Imagine if top speed was on the order of 250 mph over the bulk of the route!

The 'secret' to successful high-speed rail in the US is identifying those city pairs where it makes sense.  I claim no inside information along that line.  Once those pairs are connected, we can work on connecting those pairs together.  Eventually I'd be able to travel from my home to my son's place (if I live that long) predominantly via rail.

Another key point with all of this is local infrastructure.   It does no good to race from B to C if getting from A to B and C to D are ordeals.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:57 PM

Coincidentally, I was going to post this link and excerpts from this column in an engineering trade magazine anyway - this is just a good opportunity to do it now:

- Paul North.

http://www.rebuildingamericasinfrastructure.com/magazine-article-rai-november-2009-br_uuml;ken_culture_gap-7682.html

From ''Brücken Culture-Gap'' [''Bridges Culture Gap'']-

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
High speed rail...why?
Posted by Ulrich on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:30 PM

I'm going to take the contrarian view on this one...I just don't see the need for high speed passenger rail services. In Europe (where high speed rail is more developed) what are the user demographics? Does anyone's livelihood depend on high speed transportation (other than the people who work for the railway)? Don't get me wrong..I think high speed rail is nice but perhaps not a luxury we can afford nor is it something the planet really needs. Alot of what we have now is a waste and a drag on the environment...we don't need more of that.

 

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