Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree about Amtrack. That is why it bleeds money- because it has to run trains through states that have no population in order to touch as many Congressional districts as possible to get funding. It is just plain stupid to be running trains through places like Montana while more populated areas like Las Vegas are ingnored.
They don't run Amtrack through places that don't get service. We used to have it, no one used it, so they left Southern Idaho.
Woah... don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that I wouldn't pay for it... I'd pay through the cost of a ticket.
I propose it comes to pass by market demand. As another poster pointed out, we've kept gas taxes low which has kept demand high and this has impacted industries such as rail.
well the problem with passenger rail (Amtrak) is that it runs on freight lines so they are at the whim of those companies and their freight schedules. Except for the Northeast corridor which is DC to Boston with it's Acela trains the rest of the system is pretty bleak in terms of time travel.
Agreed. The Acela is the only high-speed (150mph highest clocked) train in the US
I blame oil, air, and truck-transport lobbies, and of course the politicians bowing to them, for the lack of rail transportation. Regional rail throughout much of the USA would make sense, with express trains connecting major cities and regional hubs. I didn't get behind the wheel of a car the entire semester I studied in Germany, and it was terrific. Europe is slightly larger than the USA, and the population density is a little over twice that of ours. As the USA has not yet reached the nearly-level plateau of population that Europe has, the density gap will probably continue to shrink, and the sensibility of a national rail infrastructure will only grow. Furthermore, as oil demand increases and the inflated price continues to drag down the economy, it only makes sense that rail shipping become the future of goods shipping. The economic benefits for the long-term would far outweigh the short-term expense, as great as it might be.
Woah... don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that I wouldn't pay for it... I'd pay through the cost of a ticket.
I propose it comes to pass by market demand. As another poster pointed out, we've kept gas taxes low which has kept demand high and this has impacted industries such as rail.
Market demand does a pretty poor job of producing long-term beneficial results, which is why it cannot be relied upon for safety, environmental, or long-term matters.
IMHO, the main reason that rail has not, and will not, work in our country is ... TIME. It takes to long. We can go coast to coast in 5/6 hours - non stop.
Market demand does a pretty poor job of producing long-term beneficial results, which is why it cannot be relied upon for safety, environmental, or long-term matters.
That's a pretty broad statement... care to elaborate?
The fact is that it's just easier to fly in the US. As some of you mentioned, in this country rail would only thrive if there was more in the way of government subsidies.
The Acela does okay for a train built on existing rail networks though.
I do think a NYC to LA would be successful only if the following conditions are met:
-it HAS to be at least 200 mph (which would still probably take too long lol)
-it can't be more expensive than planes (yeah right)
-must be government subsized
That's a pretty broad statement... care to elaborate?
Sure. During the industrial revolution, for example, industry completely ignored any environmental impact that spewing millions of tons of factory emissions into the atmosphere might have. It's the same way in most third-world nations today, where market forces in places like Taiwan and China dictate environmental and safety matters like lead paint in toys, lack of any safety controls in mines, cardboard served as food, etc. Market forces determine what will make the best buck, not what's responsible in the long term.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
