Gothamist: Rocket Train Chugs Closer to Reality

snessnyc

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:45:05 -0500

#8 - The "market" NEVER built a railroad. In the early years of railroading, the most expensive item was essentially given away to the railroad robber barons - the land AND a right-of-way usually one mile wide on either side of the tracks. SO, not only was the government giving the railroads the land to run the lines, but they were also given the land to develop towns, industry, infrastructure, etc. After being given the land, then building the towns, etc., the railroads sucked as much money as possible out of it. Then, refusing to invest in maintenance, they ran the railroads into bankruptcy until they were sent out of business or taken over by the government. Instead of your knee-jerk "the market is always better," please learn your history. It is only government that can develop something as costly and complex as a railroad.

Jen S

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:40:22 -0500

Thanks, Kojak. I found the same stats while researching, but I swear there have been some big accidents in Japan...will report back.

IvoryJive

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:50:44 -0500

If it's ok for the government to spend over $30 billion a year paving highways that are designed exclusively to accommodate motor vehicles, I don't see why the government can't spend half that amount one time to build rails for a competitively-bid railroad. What kind of highway system would we have if we waited for the "market" to build it? Right now TGV trains can take you from Torino to Paris, more than twice the distance from NY to DC, in a little over 5 hours, with stops in between. If you woke up this morning in a country with a decent rail system, you could be in Chicago by now. I'd be leaving now for a weekend trip to Montreal, and I'd be there in time for dinner.

glennQNYC

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:15:42 -0500

A rocket powered train? Somebody is smoking dust! Even if we were going to invest in a high-speed rail system i'm not thinking fucking ROCKETS are the best form of power!

johnnye

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:20:59 -0500

We can't afford these toys. Get back to business and drill for more oil and allow shale to be harvested for oil. This story is just a Hollywood dream.

Steven

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:08:55 -0500

At least within the NYC area we have three decent railroads. LIRR, NJ Transit, and Metro North, with Metro North being the better of the three and probably LIRR the worst of the three.

snowman

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:02:37 -0500

The US has a shamefully bad passenger rail network compared with those that link major cities in Europe and Asia. Know why? Too many years of dirt cheap gasoline and government policy that has fostered our car culture. A lot of good that does... Makes for endless suburban sprawl and mega-rich foreign oil economies (see Russia, Venezuela, and most of the Middle East)... "We need a nationwide $2+ trillion high speed rail program." I couldn't agree more Sonyactivision.

Kojak

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:06:28 -0500

To answer [6]: It can be very safe. One example is Japan's Shinkansen network. "During the Shinkansen's 40-year, 6 billion passenger history, there have been no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions..." Some people died to other causes, but a suicidal person jumping in front of an oncoming bullet train is not exactly the train's fault. But it would definitely leave a mark on the jumper. Ouch

Spiritof76

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:21:02 -0500

In the early 1900s, the country was much more sparsely populated and there wasn't the specter of NIMBYism around every corner. I guarantee you'd never be able to lay new tracks for a high speed train in any area with any population at all and current tracks were never designed to accommodate speeds that high. The only way to get the rights-of-way needed for new tracks would be eminent domain, which private companies obviously can't use. Why does the theme for Supertrain keep runing through my head as I read this?

MidCFrank

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:16:59 -0500

#8 -- there isn't a rail line on this planet that wasn't built without government backing -- too expensive and too complicated (getting right-of-way). This ain't pork -- this about maintaining our competitiveness with other nations. But I guess you think it's cool dropping $720 million a day in Iraq!?!?!?!?

TKaisen

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:10:38 -0500

Ah - a public transportation bill being threatened of veto by a President with deep ties to the oil industry. Can't argue much with a veto of a $14 billion wild goose chase. Pork is pork. The government shouldn't be developing a rail system. The market should be. D&H was able to figure it out in the early 1900s before the government taxed them to death.

sonyactivision

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:30:46 -0500

We need a nationwide $2+ trillion high speed rail program. Is Barack Obama advocating such a visionary concept? Of course not, he doesn't think americans are ready for "change" in the way they travel. His proposals are utterly vacant bullshit. Good luck with this one. If one could privately finance anything, a nice Maglev train from NY to DC and Boston would be a start. Then other high speed trains to Buffalo, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and points west would set off a movement. Hopefully one without the aid or even the notification of worthless politicians that stand for nothing.

Jen S

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:27:26 -0500

Is this safe? I'm imagining high-speed accidents in Midtown.

chuzzlewit

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:31:52 -0500

nice tits, babe!

David McCaffredy

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:55:18 -0500

Ah - a public transportation bill being threatened of veto by a President with deep ties to the oil industry. Its not even surprising anymore. What a legacy he leaves us.

ianmac47

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:47:40 -0500

Oops, Sandy hook was not supposed to be here.

ianmac47

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:47:07 -0500

Finally, $4 per gallon gasoline is doing something good.

ianmac47

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:46:49 -0500

Sandy Hook is a great option. Its also Ferry Accessible http://www.seastreak.com/SeaStreak/SpecialEventCruises/EventFlyers/Sandy+Hook+Beach+Excursion.htm