How come building HSR can be this difficult in US?

[FaujHistorian]

For any mass transportation system please consider the following few things before turning this thread into "my $htick is bigger than yours".

1. Ridership: How many people are available and willing to travel from point A to point B
2. Timing: Mass transportation operating hours
3. Distances between consecutive towns
4. Cost to install a system
5. years the investors are willing to wait for the system to make profit
6. Environmental impact

These aspects combine to show if the project is feasible or not.


Obviously for US market HSR has not been feasible so far.


Happy New Year Ya'all

 

[faithfulguy]

Imagine trying to maintain a HSR line from El Paso to LA...lots of empty space....and it would have to be elevated so it didn't interfere with street traffic...and no one would use it except hippies.

I like the hippies part. But they won't use it unless they have pot kiosk on the train.

 

[Juice]

I can imagine trains do well in NE. Between Boston, NY, Philly and DC. And its the only profitable Amtrack line in the US.

There are a lot more trains in the North-East. But no real need for high-speed. They still have airports for the longer hauls!

 

[Sashan]

I like the hippies part. But they won't use it unless they have pot kiosk on the train.

Maybe a train from CA to Colorado or in a few months to Seattle would be profitable.

 

[Tractor]

By car you can stop anywhere scinic while by train not so free.

 

[KAL-EL]

From the game GTA I know car and car dealers are important for people of USA .

We really like Chinese food too

 

[Tractor]

American west is a scenic area.

 

[faithfulguy]

Maybe a train from CA to Colorado or in a few months to Seattle would be profitable.

We are experiencing the affect of it here in WA state. Someone was about to grow pot in this one warehouse area in our neighborhood until they found out that most of the warehouses are within 400ft of the elementary school here.

 

[Juice]

Maybe a train from CA to Colorado or in a few months to Seattle would be profitable.

You're on to something! We should call Amtrak....

 

[faithfulguy]

There are a lot more trains in the North-East. But no real need for high-speed. They still have airports for the longer hauls!

If they can cut commute time between DC to NY to less than 30 min, than it might help.

 

[Juice]

By car you can stop anywhere scinic while by train not so free.

When we do drive to LA...picnics, restaurants, stopping here and there....so yeah...

 

[FaujHistorian]

current HSR systems proposed for the US are based on 150 years old design.

Essentially you lay the tracks and move the same old carts back and forth carrying people.

It is time to think out of the box if HSR could ever be feasible for the US.

 

[Juice]

If they can cut commute time between DC to NY to less than 30 min, than it might help.

It's mostly built-up the whole way...the would have to do an elevated or tunnel.....you start cutting off traffic for a "choo-choo" people would be up in arms. And in Germany most lines are electric....the problems of maintenance over vast distance keeps most of our lines diesel.

 

[KAL-EL]

If they can cut commute time between DC to NY to less than 30 min, than it might help.

As someone who practically lives geographically sandwiched in the middle of DC and NY, I would like to see that happen.

 

[sincity]

The cost to build HSR in the future will be much higher compare to build the HSR right now. HSR can provide the other option for long distance travel and will be much cheaper compare to fly. Take 6-8 hrs of driving from LA to SF depend on your driving speed. People will ride HSR if the ticket don't cost too much for a round trip from LA to SF and the travel time can shorten to 3 hrs.