Bullet train

[rickpaw]

Took a bullet train from Amsterdam to Paris last week. I was impressed. Fastest I've ever gone on land. 187 mph based on the speedo app on my tablet. Wish we have that same train here in the US.

[Samckitt]

I wanted to ride one when I was in Japan but didn't get the opportunity.

[cornfedbill]

I used to take the bullet train from Tokyo or Yokohama to Nagoya to visit Toyota when I lived in Japan. It is a real trip.

[nicks67camaro]

nice! what app is that?

[rickpaw]

nice! what app is that?

Don't remember right on top of my head. I searched for "GPS speedometer" in Google Playstore and several came up. This one works with tablets.

[nicks67camaro]

Sweet found it! For you Android folks its "GPS Speedometer" by LINXMAP.

[MonzaRacer]

Actually till the government steps AWAY from trying to control the train industry you NEVER want a bullet train in the USA. They are already TRYING to *******ize it.
For the most part the ONLY reason it works over in Europe and Asia is that they developed mass transit before they established more individual means such as we have in America. Unless a corporation CAN AND DOES develop a reasonably priced and useful means and profitable form of making it work.
Government control wont work, as bad as that would be its too bad they wont be able to remove the railway unions also which would make it so expensive it would eventually destroy its self. With union control bullet trains would be so expensive as they would require union workers in EVERY part, there by making the effort so expensive it would never be self sustaining.
Also another point, being that America is so large and spread out a "bullet" train would not be as useful as say in Japan or other smaller countries,,,also how are you going to get greenies to let it happen as they wont let pipelines got through specific areas, and also a train that could wreck would be an even worse "calamity".

[77thor]

Yeah, I took the bullet from London thru the Chunnel to Paris.
That was so cool

[rickpaw]

Also another point, being that America is so large and spread out a "bullet" train would not be as useful as say in Japan or other smaller countries.

It depends on where you're going. Supposedly it takes 6hrs to drive from Amsterdam to Paris. It took 3 hrs on the train so it made sense for us time wise.

Regarding safety, if bullet train ever becomes a reality in the US, a whole new tracks will have to be laid and/or existing system upgraded as the current track can only support speeds up to 100 mph (at least in WA, IIRC) with associated safety improvements in place. That's why bullet train cost so much to build here.

[mikedc]

Actually till the government steps AWAY from trying to control the train industry you NEVER want a bullet train in the USA. They are already TRYING to *******ize it.
For the most part the ONLY reason it works over in Europe and Asia is that they developed mass transit before they established more individual means such as we have in America. Unless a corporation CAN AND DOES develop a reasonably priced and useful means and profitable form of making it work.
Government control wont work, as bad as that would be its too bad they wont be able to remove the railway unions also which would make it so expensive it would eventually destroy its self. With union control bullet trains would be so expensive as they would require union workers in EVERY part, there by making the effort so expensive it would never be self sustaining.
Also another point, being that America is so large and spread out a "bullet" train would not be as useful as say in Japan or other smaller countries,,,also how are you going to get greenies to let it happen as they wont let pipelines got through specific areas, and also a train that could wreck would be an even worse "calamity".

The govt spent the last 60-70 years not controlling the influence of the auto & petroleum industries well enough to prevent them from reshaping our cities & highways for their own purposes. The govt is starting to interfere with the future of US transportation now to clean up the mess it made. It spent most of a century not interfering when it really needed to, during the crucial formation of most of our big urban centers. Now the USA is too spread out for trains BECAUSE the govt didn't interfere like other govts frequently do overseas.

Europe didn't lack auto industries during the last 100 years any more than we did. But Europe didn't let their auto industries influence their cities to tear out mass transit & build tons of superhighways & sprawl out their suburbs. And they didn't keep their gasoline cheaper than its indirect costs to society the whole time either.


Besides, the USA is still compact enough for trains to operate within regions. I would agree it's too far to use trains going from NYC to Los Angeles. But it's also pretty far to take a train from Madrid to Moscow. That doesn't mean trains don't make sense in Europe. Tons of US air & highway travel takes place between cities within 200 miles of each other.

[DartorDemon]

California is trying to build one. I really hope it goes through. The estimated times is that i could go from SF-LA in two hours.(usually a 6+hr drive)

[MonzaRacer]

First of all untill the railway unions are defunct and gone dead, I wouldnt want ANY railroads for bullet trains built, also railway repair unions,,,been there done that work and dealt with union fools (at 16 on summer me and buddyand his dad were jacking up rails in middle of summer this was like 30 yrs ago before they built automated machines to do it.
And now I REALLY dont want government oversight on on "bullet trains" .
You may THINK you want government controlling stuff in this area, but between the unions and "government regs" its a mess.
Really guys, in the USA there are already subways and such between metro areas and even those have issues due to above reasons but because they are now so integrated they HAVE to maintain them.
You guys keep thinking a lot of stuff in Europe is so great, yet the majority of it has went socialist, fuel is taxed into costing $6-$7 a liter, yes you get fast cars but spend way more to have it even if its limited use.
Ill keep driving my car. At least I KNOW who worked on it and can control it myself.
Also I have buddy who was on Japans bullet train during a quake, he missed a deployment, an d took him 6 months too re-rate in his fighter,,cost him 2 or 3 rank advancements for a time(career air force) and he also is aeronautics engineer.
Drool over those trains, projected costs would be for that Cali train with all government subsidies to make it usable at about $40-$60 per person(not out of pocket, directly, but in wasted money and taxes redirected and such)

[rickpaw]

Really guys, in the USA there are already subways and such between metro areas

Not every metro areas. I used to live in Portland OR and personally knew people who commute 60 miles one-way from Portland to Salem (state capitol). There is no rail/transit between the 2 cities. That would be an ideal candidate. Portland to Seattle is another route. It makes sense to have a route that cuts driving time from 6 hrs to half (LA to SF; Portland to Vancouver Canada). Anything longer than that then flying makes more sense.