President Obama's Plan for High Speed Rail

[traderx]

Why? Did anyone ever consider that the U.S. is perfectly capable of coming up with solutions that match our own unique problems? Rail doesn't work in a country as large as the states. It's not cost effective, it's not fast enough, and it will never reach the places people want to go.

Becoming "more like europe" doesn't necessarily work over here. IMHO this isn't foresight, it's short sightedness.

First, I will state that I absolutely love trains. I mean love them. I have taken trains just for the kicks on business when I could have flown. The food is great. I love dining in the dining car meeting folks. I love the club car. I love the way trains are isolated from the world but give you such a view at the same time.

The US is a country dedicated to leading technology. We are pioneers. With the advent of air travel came the realization that we as a country are better suited to travel by air as opposed to rail. The romantic in me is disillusioned; the practical in me is happy we are built on air travel. Why take a bullet train from ATL to LA at 120 mph when I can crawl onto a jet and go 550 mph?

I am not sure why but there seems to be a movement to identify things in Europe that are considered superior to the US and point it out. Trains are advanced in Europe because of the size of Europe and the lack of imagination early on when it came to air travel.

Just for kicks, I looked up the number of air travelers in 2008 for various countries. Below are the rankings in millions:

US - 795
UK - 101
Germany - 89
Japan - 67
France - 61
China - 56

Do you ever wonder if Europeans come to the US and marvel at our air transport and go back home and post about it?

 

[Bob]

Well now Miss Kitty, keep in mind the land mass we have to cover with passenger rail as opposed to smaller European countries. And, to compare, Australia is the best to compare with us - about the same age in civilisation and they don't have a fancy rail system either.

It is aggravating that cities like LA and San Fran don't have sophisticated rail for public transportation.

And, in Atlanta you can go N-S/E-W, but somehow the stops are strategically located and get you where you need to be. MARTA going right into Hartsfield is the best thing about it here.......I never drive to the airport any more. Too much hassle and I lose my car in the parking lot everytime, it seems. (This should be expected out of me, however.)

i've been hearing that european cop out since grade school, and did you really mean to compare the us with australia?

 

[Bob]

First, I will state that I absolutely love trains. I mean love them. I have taken trains just for the kicks on business when I could have flown. The food is great. I love dining in the dining car meeting folks. I love the club car. I love the way trains are isolated from the world but give you such a view at the same time.

The US is a country dedicated to leading technology. We are pioneers. With the advent of air travel came the realization that we as a country are better suited to travel by air as opposed to rail. The romantic in me is disillusioned; the practical in me is happy we are built on air travel. Why take a bullet train from ATL to LA at 120 mph when I can crawl onto a jet and go 550 mph?

I am not sure why but there seems to be a movement to identify things in Europe that are considered superior to the US and point it out. Trains are advanced in Europe because of the size of Europe and the lack of imagination early on when it came to air travel.

Just for kicks, I looked up the number of air travelers in 2008 for various countries. Below are the rankings in millions:

US - 795
UK - 101
Germany - 89
Japan - 67
France - 61
China - 56

Do you ever wonder if Europeans come to the US and marvel at our air transport and go back home and post about it?

is it the searching of the elderly, the mass shoe removals, the bankrupt airlines, or the delayed flights that amaze them?

 

[Lynnie]

i've been hearing that european cop out since grade school, and did you really mean to compare the us with australia?

Well, Bob yes, that's exactly what I meant. We are repeatedly (at least here on sowal) being compared to European countries, which is apples to oranges.

Perhaps you've been hearing about the land mass in the US and that we are a much younger nation since your grade school years, because well, that's exactly the fact. That doesn't mean that we as nation cannot build a great rail system......we certainly have some rail laid and we have the land to make the greatest in the world.

I used to live in Europe and while I was there train travel was the equivalent of taking a 'jumper flight' here. It made more sense than air travel.....as opposed to here where often times it makes more sense to take a flight for cost effectiveness as well as speed in transport.

The last time I looked into taking AmTrak here, it was just a few dollars shy of a Delta ticket.....for the speed on that trip I chose to fly.

And, speaking of flights vs. trains, overcoming the objections of speed and $$ will be a huge step for us implementing a successful high speed rail system.

Despite the arguing, I am all for it and believe it will serve us well as a nation!

 

[traderx]

is it the searching of the elderly, the mass shoe removals, the bankrupt airlines, or the delayed flights that amaze them?

I am told it is the lack of machine-gun totin' security guards.

 

[scooterbug44]

I am told it is the lack of machine-gun totin' security guards.

You mean those guys that let any girl past if she was cute? :roll:

If we had a decent train system, I would use it the same way I used European rail - for trips of a day or so or less and w/ planes to cross large distances or continents.

European air travel (w/ the exception of the strikes) can be much nicer than the current US cluster, so don't be gloating too much.

 

[traderx]

You mean those guys that let any girl past if she was cute? :roll:

If we had a decent train system, I would use it the same way I used European rail - for trips of a day or so or less and w/ planes to cross large distances or continents.

European air travel (w/ the exception of the strikes) can be much nicer than the current US cluster, so don't be gloating too much.

I thought we were comparing size and speed. I was merely gloating about the US air travel industry versus the Euro one.

 

[scooterbug44]

By "nicer" I meant a variety of things - number of delays, comfort of planes, ticket prices, ease of connections, customer service level etc.

Of course Americans fly WAY more - not only can I not get ANYWHERE in less than 2 flights, but I don't have another viable option.

I bet more Sowallers shop at Publix than "grocery store non-existo" too - safe bet since we don't have one! But if we had one, the numbers would probably change quite a bit.

 

[30ashopper]

By "nicer" I meant a variety of things - number of delays, comfort of planes, ticket prices, ease of connections, customer service level etc.

Of course Americans fly WAY more - not only can I not get ANYWHERE in less than 2 flights, but I don't have another viable option.

I bet more Sowallers shop at Publix than "grocery store non-existo" too - safe bet since we don't have one! But if we had one, the numbers would probably change quite a bit.

Did you know a number of european airlines are subsidized by their respective governments? This is an issue currently in the euro union because these airlines operate at a loss and compete with commercial airlines in the same areas.

 

[Lynnie]

Did you know a number of european airlines are subsidized by their respective governments? This is an issue currently in the euro union because these airlines operate at a loss and compete with commercial airlines in the same areas.

The airline industry in other nations are almost all subsidized by their respective governments - certainly all of the countries I've traveled.

I dealt with that strike in Paris......I used to live there, so I do have a soft spot for everything and everyone French - I find them charming! But, they are out of control in many, many ways! Almost killed us in the bus on the runway......I guess I had forgotten about the collapsed Charles de Gualle and connected through Paris twice that year! ARGH, rude, nasty people and filthy airport! Absolutely filthy!

But, what a beautiful place~~~~~