US Rail System Transportation?

[Modern Imperialism]

People ask 'why not like Germany' well, ask instead how good the passenger rail service is between Mannheim and Saint Petersburg, for a similar US Amtrak distance

I understand how big the country is. I am not recommending a New York to LA rail travel or even one from St. Louis to New York. I am talking about Philadelphia to Pittsburgh or New York to Boston or DC to Philadelphia. Basically, trips too short to fly for people who can’t or don’t want to drive. The only stops will be in major city centers and no where else. Once you take a train from Philadelphia to DC it ain’t stopping until you get there. Same with the trip back.

Also, couldn’t they make money from tourism? Wouldn’t those backpackers type of people use it to see the country? America also has a lot more poor people then Western Europe. They might be willing to use the thing. Jobs scare in your city you take a 2 hour train ride to a other city. Although I could see some people not wanting that. America prefers keeping the poor restricted to their own areas. That why we still have a bunch of vacancy and loitering laws in some states. People from Albany can go to New York City for the weekend without worry about driving or parking through that mess.

 

[Jellico]

They seem to all over the world, and in even the US in the place where they have been given the opportunity.

I disagree. I think most people would prefer a car. Personalized transport point to point right to your front door. But cars have limits which cause people to look for alternatives.

Mass transit is a good example of working to rails strength. Congestion at peak periods limits cars. Trains can move huge volumes of stuff (people). The infrastructure is still used outside peak times, but it is largely subsidized by peak times.

 

[dmg86]

The problem is how to get it though congress because it's going to be expensive to build it in urban areas.

 

[kernals12]

Trains are useful for short distances in areas that have multiple urban centers close by. Think of the metropolitans on the northeast coast. I rather take that tran from Philadelphia to New York over flying or driving that.

True, but the days of taking a train from New York to LA are long over and are never coming back.

 

[kernals12]

They seem to all over the world, and in even the US in the place where they have been given the opportunity.

80% of trips in Britain are made by car

For Australia, it's 85%.

 

[Johnrankins]

Everyone knows how big the US is, and nobody advocates NY to LA trains as a viable competition to air travel: NOBODY!

The niche for rail, using the likes of the Metroliner and Turbotrain purchased in the 60s as part of the 1965 High Speed Ground Transportation Act is city pairs of 1 million, 200-500 miles apart.

As for population density, this actually works in the US' favour within this niche because with fewer intermediate stops slower trains can keep faster timetables with slower (read cheaper) trains and tracks.

You are going to have to finance it regionally. People in Montana don't want to pay taxes to allow someone from Newark to reach Trenton 16 min earlier.

 

[Barry Bull]

True, but the days of taking a train from New York to LA are long over and are never coming back.

You forgot China's high speed rail network.

 

[Riain]

You are going to have to finance it regionally. People in Montana don't want to pay taxes to allow someone from Newark to reach Trenton 16 min earlier.

Who pays for TSA, border patrol, interstate highways and the like? Do people in Montana bitch about guarding the border with Mexico even though they are far away from it?

 

[Riain]

BTW all the faux obstacles just seems, from an outside perspective, so unAmerican.

If you can build a nuclear aircraft carrier you can make a train go 150mph ffs.

 

[Johnrankins]

Who pays for TSA, border patrol, interstate highways and the like? Do people in Montana bitch about guarding the border with Mexico even though they are far away from it?

They don't want their wages to plunge having to compete with Guatemalans in salary.

 

[Johnrankins]

BTW all the faux obstacles just seems, from an outside perspective, so unAmerican.

If you can build a nuclear aircraft carrier you can make a train go 150mph ffs.

We can, but why would we want to? What would be the point? Passenger trains cost money on there are much better places to spend it. If you are going to spend money on trains build local trams and subways. They are cheaper and would actually be used. One route between a Chicago suburb and Chicago itself is worth a dozen between St Louis and Nashville.

 

[Johnrankins]

You forgot China's high speed rail network.

China is slightly smaller and has a population 3 times as high, hardly the same thing. They don't have the endless miles of nothingness that exists in the US between the Mississippi and the West Coast.

 

[Modern Imperialism]

True, but the days of taking a train from New York to LA are long over and are never coming back.

Unless your a person who just wants to see the country and travel around. I could see some people using the train to jump around cities. They hang out in a city and nearby a areas for a few days before going off again to see the next one. Wouldn’t backpacking be popular tourist attraction especially given the variety of nature in the US? Also migrant or temporary workers in the US might find them useful. People forget how poor a lot of areas of the US are. I’m also referring to Americans born here not just immigrants. If a tran or rail went through even one stop through a state like West Virginia to Ohio or Virginia a lot of people from that state would go there looking for work. Many poorer Americans will not risk driving too far because their cars are not always the best. Some would break down on the interstate if you push it. Also gas is a issue for poorer Americans too. It isn’t uncommon for some people here to put 5 dollars of gas or less in their gas tank to make it through a few days.

 

[Modern Imperialism]

They don't want their wages to plunge having to compete with Guatemalans in salary.

The would actually probably have to worry more about Appalachians going there to work in the mines more then Hispanic immigrants coming in.

 

[kernals12]

You forgot China's high speed rail network.

China has nearly 5 times as many people in a roughly similar amount of space. And most of those people are concentrated in the eastern part.

 

[kernals12]

They don't want their wages to plunge having to compete with Guatemalans in salary.

lower wages for them means lower prices for everyone else.

 

[SsgtC]

lower wages for them means lower prices for everyone else.

Lower wages could also mean losing their house or car. But I think we're veering into current politics here

 

[Johnrankins]

The would actually probably have to worry more about Appalachians going there to work in the mines more then Hispanic immigrants coming in.

Not a chance. Appalachians make MUCH more money than Guatemalans or Mexicans. The median Mississippian (poorest state in the Union) earns over twice as much as the average Mexican and over 4 times the average Guatemalan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...territories_ranked_by_median_household_income

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita

 

[DougM]

You will never get it paid for. The map shown has 20 states with basically zNothing to gain from what may be the most expensive government project in history. Keep in mind high speed rail is WORSE then regular railroads, they need broader curves and lower grades and they need to have no grade crossings so every road has to have a bridge. At a very conservative 1/2 million per bridge that is going to get expensive, using metropolitan Detroit as an example we have a grid of roads with a significant road every 1/2 mile. And our suburbs extend out about 40 miles. So just to get one line out of the suburbs will cost 40 million just in bridges. Not continue that for the whole system. Then find 51 senators willing to pay for it. Keep in mind that 40 of them are getting nothing for thier state from this. So you need 51 out of the remaining 60 and you are not getting that.

 

[Mark E.]

China is slightly smaller and has a population 3 times as high, hardly the same thing. They don't have the endless miles of nothingness that exists in the US between the Mississippi and the West Coast.

I'd put that dividing line along Interstate 29 south to KC, then I-35 to the Mexican border. East of that line, you have a network of cities and large enough towns to support a transportation network. To the west, you have only a handful of corridors to the west coast. Even the west coast is spread out enough to isolate the population centers.