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DOT eyes Texas for high speed rail


Jimcj5

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Is this old news? Surprised I hadn't seen anything about it on HAIF yet.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...15/daily21.html

Sounds big, potentially. Without getting into the macroeconomic issues involved, I'll say that I usually find it more convenient to drive between TX cities (speeding all the way) than fly because of airport hassles and cost (unless of course work pays, $40/bbl helps too). A high speed rail line would be a great new option to save time and productivity without paying too much more to travel.

Also, Amtrak is such an embarrassment. Acela is a such a joke! Cut 45 min. off your commute (assuming it's ever on time, which is a bold assumption) for a 50% ticket premium? Vintage 1970s technology at work, too.

I know it's not cost effective, but I guess I look at rail as sort of a national status symbol. I know there are much larger issues here like economies of scale, freight priority at switches, but so long as we're throwing around 100's of billion$, would it hurt to get rid of the K-Car rail system and buy at least a recent model?

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  • 2 weeks later...
Is this old news? Surprised I hadn't seen anything about it on HAIF yet.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...15/daily21.html

Sounds big, potentially. Without getting into the macroeconomic issues involved, I'll say that I usually find it more convenient to drive between TX cities (speeding all the way) than fly because of airport hassles and cost (unless of course work pays, $40/bbl helps too). A high speed rail line would be a great new option to save time and productivity without paying too much more to travel.

Also, Amtrak is such an embarrassment. Acela is a such a joke! Cut 45 min. off your commute (assuming it's ever on time, which is a bold assumption) for a 50% ticket premium? Vintage 1970s technology at work, too.

I know it's not cost effective, but I guess I look at rail as sort of a national status symbol. I know there are much larger issues here like economies of scale, freight priority at switches, but so long as we're throwing around 100's of billion$, would it hurt to get rid of the K-Car rail system and buy at least a recent model?

Not everyone's getting excited because the state's gone down that road before. Back in the early 90's Texas tried to build a high-speed rail network, connecting the big 3 cities, and Southwest Airlines came in and blocked it, claiming it would've put them out of business (or something to that effect). High speed rail will never work in Texas unless American Airlines (based in Fort Worth), Continential Airlines (Houston), and Southwest Airlines (Dallas) are all fully committed to it.

For the record, I hope they get it right this time.

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