Midwest Regional Rail Plan

[NewFlyerMCI]

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/press-release/21242285/high-speed-rail-alliance-fras-releases-new-midwest-regional-rail-plan

[artthouwill]

44 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/press-release/21242285/high-speed-rail-alliance-fras-releases-new-midwest-regional-rail-plan

I think this is a pipe dream.  How long have we talked about high speed rail in this country?  The Los Angeles to San Francisco high speed rail is only partially built and no part of it is in Los Angeles or San Francisco.   Yet it is way behind schedule and way over budget.  And there's still some dispute on some of the routing. 

We've been talking Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail forever.  Even the last so called proposal only shaved an hour and a half off the current travel time.   There's no place to build high speed rail infrastructure between here and Sr. LOUIS,  here and Milwaukee,  nor here and Indianapolis.   If California is having trouble building one high speed rail line in its own state, does the FRA really think several states can build a network?

Texas us trying to build a network connecting Houston and Dallas and possibly San Antonio.   Florida was trying to build a high speed rail line too..

The U.S. lags Europe and Asia in this area.

[strictures]

11 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

I think this is a pipe dream.  How long have we talked about high speed rail in this country?  The Los Angeles to San Francisco high speed rail is only partially built and no part of it is in Los Angeles or San Francisco.   Yet it is way behind schedule and way over budget.  And there's still some dispute on some of the routing. 

We've been talking Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail forever.  Even the last so called proposal only shaved an hour and a half off the current travel time.   There's no place to build high speed rail infrastructure between here and Sr. LOUIS,  here and Milwaukee,  nor here and Indianapolis.   If California is having trouble building one high speed rail line in its own state, does the FRA really think several states can build a network?

Texas us trying to build a network connecting Houston and Dallas and possibly San Antonio.   Florida was trying to build a high speed rail line too..

The U.S. lags Europe and Asia in this area.

I always wanted Amtrak to have high speed rail that goes through downtown & ends up at the airports, so they could eliminate most of the short range flights, that is what Britain wants to do with its short range flights.

[artthouwill]

27 minutes ago, strictures said:

I always wanted Amtrak to have high speed rail that goes through downtown & ends up at the airports, so they could eliminate most of the short range flights, that is what Britain wants to do with its short range flights.

I get that.  The idea isn't the problem.  Everything has to be studied, then another study, and then feedback,  which always had opposition and they drive up costs with litigation.   Then there's land acquisition which usually comes with more litigation.   Then there's bidding,  which always comes in higher than what's budgeted.   I won't mention the cost overruns and delays associated with construction ( see my California example).

Airlines don't mind the short hpps as most of them are handled by regional airlines.   Depending on the distance to a major airport,  bus service helps with connections.  As an example,  Milwaukee General Mitchell has a decent amount of flights, but people have said that it's cheaper to fly out of O'Hare.   Voach USA/Wisconsin Coach Lines runs busses from downtown Milwaukee to both General Mitchell and O'Hare.  Yet United and American offers flights to O'Hare from Milwaukee.   Of course the flights are regional jets.  Those are mere foe connections than origin/destination flights.

 

[NewFlyerMCI]

3 hours ago, strictures said:

I always wanted Amtrak to have high speed rail that goes through downtown & ends up at the airports, so they could eliminate most of the short range flights, that is what Britain wants to do with its short range flights.

This actually just happened in Italy. Alitalia (the flag carrier) just folded today, I think.

The NE Corridor carries more people than airlines do, at least for the DC-NYC corridor. Can't speak for Boston, as that's the slower segment of the trip.

[NewFlyerMCI]

3 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I think this is a pipe dream.  How long have we talked about high speed rail in this country?  The Los Angeles to San Francisco high speed rail is only partially built and no part of it is in Los Angeles or San Francisco.   Yet it is way behind schedule and way over budget.  And there's still some dispute on some of the routing. 

We've been talking Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail forever.  Even the last so called proposal only shaved an hour and a half off the current travel time.   There's no place to build high speed rail infrastructure between here and Sr. LOUIS,  here and Milwaukee,  nor here and Indianapolis.   If California is having trouble building one high speed rail line in its own state, does the FRA really think several states can build a network?

Texas us trying to build a network connecting Houston and Dallas and possibly San Antonio.   Florida was trying to build a high speed rail line too..

The U.S. lags Europe and Asia in this area.

An entire 90 minutes off the current travel time is a huge deal.

Florida is actually the closest to anyone on this list of actually achieving high-speed rail, although the entire thing is privately owned and operating, so make of that what you will.

The geographical challenges of the US, the age of the country relative to places in Europe and Asia and American exceptionalism are all hampering factors in getting this done.