what the heck is it with Dems and high speed trains?

[HomerJS]

I seriously feel like I'm stuck in a bad episode of The Simpsons. Obama keeps talking about this like its going to save the economy. Now Michigan just announced it got a couple hundred million just to help plan one out. Not actually drive any nails or build any cars...just for planning.

How is a high speed train supposed to help? Didn't they already have to bailout Amtrack?

What's with all these failed public works projects??

Golden Gate Bridge
Hoover Dam
Interstate Highway System
Panama Canal


Nothing like shoring up our infrastructure and putting people to work.

 

[alphatarget1]

The chief problem with the ICE (compared to the French TGV, Spanish AGV, and other HSR systems) is that it runs on an existing rail network that in sections has seen limited upgrades which restricts speeds to well below the capability of the modern rolling stock. The other systems were purpose built to allow maximum speed and major trip time reductions.

Hamburg to Munich is 775km on the autobahn. Some places just aren't geographically feasible to build brand new, straight tracks. Plus the train stops at stations to load/unload passengers, and it also takes time to accelerate back up to speed. The newer ICE rollingstock is capable of doing 330km/h but most of the time it'd never go that fast. Fastest I've been in was about 260km/h I think. Deutsche Bahn limits their speed to 300km/h AFAIK.

775km is about a little less than 500 miles. So which major US cities less than 400 miles of distance (that already have good existing public transportation) can we connect for the most bang for the buck? How would we make sure that the systems operate without too much taxpayer subsidies? As gas prices go up (which they sure will in the not so distant future), maybe people will start looking at alternatives?

 

[alphatarget1]

What's with all these failed public works projects??

Golden Gate Bridge
Hoover Dam
Interstate Highway System
Panama Canal


Nothing like shoring up our infrastructure and putting people to work.

Those things were built before most of the government bureaucracy, regulation, and union labor existed.

I don't think you'd be able to build a Hoover Dam anywhere in the US today. Sierra Club will fight you for killing fish habitat (not discussing the merit of that, but there is some), crap like that.

 

[IcePickFreak]

They invested their retirement funds in the high speed train industry.

 

[K1052]

Hamburg to Munich is 775km on the autobahn. Some places just aren't geographically feasible to build brand new, straight tracks. Plus the train stops at stations to load/unload passengers, and it also takes time to accelerate back up to speed. The newer ICE rollingstock is capable of doing 330km/h but most of the time it'd never go that fast. Fastest I've been in was about 260km/h I think. Deutsche Bahn limits their speed to 300km/h AFAIK.

775km is about a little less than 500 miles. So which major US cities less than 400 miles of distance (that already have good existing public transportation) can we connect for the most bang for the buck? How would we make sure that the systems operate without too much taxpayer subsidies? As gas prices go up (which they sure will in the not so distant future), maybe people will start looking at alternatives?

If you take into account that the next generation of HSR rolling stock will be able do do 350-400km/h you can cast a somewhat wider net if desired.

The systems that stand the best chance of being built already fit your distance criteria. California: San Deigo to San Francisco, Chicago Hub (out to Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleavland, Cincinnati), and the NEC from Washington to Boston.

These systems would also have the benefit of reducing the load on our airports by diverting short haul trips to the rail instead of hogging runway and gate capacity at already overstretched airports.

 

[werepossum]

unfortunately tunnels don't really work in houston, this whole city is built on mud.

there is one car tunnel but i think it's a waterproof tube sitting in a trench on the ship channel bottom.

Then for mass transit how about a high speed Slip-N-Slide?

 

[cirrrocco]

YOu should check the daily trains between south bay and SF every day, crazy ass packed. so it is a good idea, if it helps keep drivers off the road. I say go rail system.

 

[ElFenix]

Then for mass transit how about a high speed Slip-N-Slide?

would there be high speed wasps on there?

i swear every time we broke out the slip n slide someone got stung

 

[werepossum]

would there be high speed wasps on there?

i swear every time we broke out the slip n slide someone got stung

WASPs are getting less common in Houston, but yeah, there will still be plenty of them.