Comments on: High Speed Rail in America http://infranetlab.org/blog/2009/07/high-speed-rail-in-america/ infrastructures / networks / environments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:40:49 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: frank@nycgarden http://infranetlab.org/blog/2009/07/high-speed-rail-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-3641 frank@nycgarden Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:19:32 +0000 http://infranetlab.org/blog/?p=453#comment-3641 Having taken Amtrak across the country a few times, on different routes that "share" with freight, I can feel comfortable saying that this effectively eliminates HSR. If freight has the right of way, Amtrak trains have to retrace their steps to a step-out track. This would be defeating the purpose. If people do not perceive HSR to be fast, they won't flock to it. Another point, the last time I checked, it cost me a similar amount to fly to Minneapolis from NYC as it did to take Amtrak. Three hours by flight, 30 hours by rail. If this remains true for HSR, most will still fly because of the time savings. There needs to be a balance of time and cost to encourage users. According to the map you have above, there is no HSR direct NY-Chicago. That seems silly, because NY senators are sure getting on the NY-Buffalo train wagon. So what is this about, creating economic zones via HSR? I travel to Minneapolis twice yearly. If I can do it via HSR, I would over flying. They'll need to have a luggage compartment, unlike Amtrak where you stuff you stuff whereever you can! One last thing, Acela sucks and its expensive. Its cheaper to fly. If there needs to be real HSR, we need to build real new infrastructure to carry it. We should look to other nations who have this experience. I hope it happens -for real. Thanks for the post. Having taken Amtrak across the country a few times, on different routes that “share” with freight, I can feel comfortable saying that this effectively eliminates HSR. If freight has the right of way, Amtrak trains have to retrace their steps to a step-out track. This would be defeating the purpose. If people do not perceive HSR to be fast, they won’t flock to it.

Another point, the last time I checked, it cost me a similar amount to fly to Minneapolis from NYC as it did to take Amtrak. Three hours by flight, 30 hours by rail. If this remains true for HSR, most will still fly because of the time savings. There needs to be a balance of time and cost to encourage users.

According to the map you have above, there is no HSR direct NY-Chicago. That seems silly, because NY senators are sure getting on the NY-Buffalo train wagon. So what is this about, creating economic zones via HSR?

I travel to Minneapolis twice yearly. If I can do it via HSR, I would over flying. They’ll need to have a luggage compartment, unlike Amtrak where you stuff you stuff whereever you can!

One last thing, Acela sucks and its expensive. Its cheaper to fly. If there needs to be real HSR, we need to build real new infrastructure to carry it. We should look to other nations who have this experience.

I hope it happens -for real.

Thanks for the post.

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