China Builds High-Speed Rail Links; U.S. to 'Invest' in Armed Guards for Schools.

[unregistered]

 

[unregistered]

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

God how I miss the ride down I-4.


sigh.

I'm guessing you haven't been lately.

 

[doctor_insanus]

While the rest of the world continues to pass us by, we've become the crazy old recluse who yells at clouds.

The next generation can't come into power soon enough.

 

[unregistered]

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

No.

I will be this weekend but will invade from the north via 75, my other Florida fave.

Not a fan of 75 as it doesn't take you directly through any cities (in FL). The best part of driving down from the north is seeing more & more palm trees.

 

[islandman]

How else would we get people to the Dali Museum?

There have been studies done that show a rail in Orlando would be profitable.

So long as its privately financed.

 

[PoppingTom]

We might (& I can't stress the word might enough) get a rail here in Florida, & it would be a private venture.

There's a difference between a railway system and a high-speed railway system.If you had one in your country, you would know.

HSR systems are a huge lot more expensive to establish, and without government spending, it would have been impossible to achieve them, whether it was in Japan, France, Germany or anywhere else in the world.

America could have made the difference in spending. They decided not to do.

That model doesn't work.

The role of government is to enable commerce and industry, not to be its manager.

That's the reason they were privatized later.

Anyway, it was the government that undertook the spending of such great projects. Without them, it wouldn't have happen.

 

[islandman]

That's the reason they were privatized later.

Anyway, it was the government that undertook the spending of such great projects. Without them, it wouldn't have happen.

Not so in the U.S.

Amtrak was created on the bones of privately-funded rail that was about to go bankrupt as a result of the jet age.

The government has done its duty by establishing an interstate highway system and enabled airline travel and transport. In this industry, where is no valid reason for it to be an owner-operator to provide competition.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

Not so in the U.S.

Amtrak was created on the bones of privately-funded rail that was about to go bankrupt as a result of the jet age.

The government has done its duty by establishing an interstate highway system and enabled airline travel and transport. In this industry, where is no valid reason for it to be an owner-operator to provide competition.

Things change. There are plenty of reasons to take rail over a private auto or airline travel.

 

[islandman]

Things change. There are plenty of reasons to take rail over a private auto or airline travel.

As you said, if there's money to be made, the private sector will step in to fill the gap. The government can provide right-of-way laws and access to, but as an owner-operator, it'll never be a for-profit enterprise. Case in point, Amtrak.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

As you said, if there's money to be made, the private sector will step in to fill the gap. The government can provide right-of-way laws and access to, but as an owner-operator, it'll never be a for-profit enterprise. Case in point, Amtrak.

Amtrak isn't HSR.

 

[islandman]

Amtrak isn't HSR.

True, but HSR isn't so nascent that it requires federal dollars. Trains and gear can be readily purchased from Germany, France, Spain, Japan and South Korea.

In fact, building an HSR atop existing Amtrak lines would be the most cost-effective way of achieving HSR in the U.S. Gets more complicated cross-country, however.

 

[PoppingTom]

True, but HSR isn't so nascent that it requires federal dollars. Trains and gear can be readily purchased from Germany, France, Spain, Japan and South Korea.

In fact, building an HSR atop existing Amtrak lines would be the most cost-effective way of achieving HSR in the U.S. Gets more complicated cross-country, however.

I think the train is the least problem.

You have to build a new railway system following HSR requirements. With a lot more of controlling.

 

[Sean]

As you said, if there's money to be made, the private sector will step in to fill the gap. The government can provide right-of-way laws and access to, but as an owner-operator, it'll never be a for-profit enterprise. Case in point, Amtrak.

There isn't a passenger rail service on the planet that makes money without gubmint subsidy. Freight is a different story. And one could argue that the gubmint subsidy for passenger rail is returned multiple times in productivity gains.

 

[koalabear]

"The Acela Express, Amtrak's high speed rail service along the Northeast corridor, has shown a positive return from its New York-to-D.C. route."

 

[daus42]

Their quality is suspect!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16345592

 

[richard_daily]

While the rest of the world continues to pass us by, we've become the crazy old recluse who yells at clouds.

The next generation can't come into power soon enough.

I'm not sure the next generation is going to have the will to fix things...

For example; Rand Paul, much nuttier than his kooky dad, Ron.

 

[richard_daily]

There isn't a passenger rail service on the planet that makes money without gubmint subsidy. Freight is a different story. And one could argue that the gubmint subsidy for passenger rail is returned multiple times in productivity gains.

Airlines are subsidized, gas is subsidized... fuck it, subsidize rail. It's more economically feasible in the long run, and is nicer to the environment.

 

[islandman]

Airlines are subsidized, gas is subsidized... fuck it, subsidize rail. It's more economically feasible in the long run, and is nicer to the environment.

Airlines are subsidized?

I know rural airlines are, but major carriers too? I'm going to have to google this.

 

[Sean]

Airlines are subsidized?

I know rural airlines are, but major carriers too? I'm going to have to google this.

Google the tax rates on av fuel.

 

[islandman]

There isn't a passenger rail service on the planet that makes money without gubmint subsidy. Freight is a different story. And one could argue that the gubmint subsidy for passenger rail is returned multiple times in productivity gains.

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line turns a profit. The rest of it is a money pit because those tracks share lines with slower freight carriers. Incidentally, that's the primary reason why 99% of passenger rail is a money-losing enterprise.

Frankly, change the business model and you'll see an improvement in profitability. Though that's easier said than done when you have to purchase a plot of land several hundred miles long, but here too - as much as I don't like eminent domain - the government can facilitate this purchase.

"productivity gains" are hard to quantify. Time saved can be a cost savings, but here too, open to many interpretations.

 

[islandman]

Google the tax rates on av fuel.

Thanks. Will do.

 

[KingOrfeo]

There is a state-funded HSR line under construction in California right now; when finished it will run from San Diego to San Francisco and Sacramento. There is also a planned private venture to build a HSR line running from Las Vegas to Palmdale, CA. (It would not, apparently, run far enough west to link up with the state HSR line; I don't know why not.)

 

[thør]

Is it time to buy Bombardier stock?