Thursday, August 07, 2014
Political Mayhem Thursday: Is there a future for high-speed rail in the U.S.?
The short answer (and a correct one) to my question above is "of course." The U.S. already has a very successful high-speed rail line, Amtrak's Acela that runs between Boston and Washington DC. Well, as the New York Times reports, it might be more of a medium-speed rail right now, but let's not quibble.
The real question is whether or not there are any other market for high-speed rail that will actually see trains, whether built by public or private efforts. The best-supported public plan seems to be the LA-to-SF line in California, which seems to be moving forward. Private plans in Florida and Texas seem hopeful, too.
Still, it seems possible that in 20 years, the Acela will still stand alone (though hopefully with some improvement). Maybe that is for the best; that route offers the nation's best concentration of population centers. I love trains, though, and I want some new ones to ride...
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I'm pretty sure SW Airlines and the hotel lobby are the reasons we don't have high speed Houston-to-Dallas and Dallas-Austin-San Antonio service. It would be great up here in the Panhandle too, might relieve a lot of trouble attracting young talent.
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