What is missing?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Yes, it's being considered -- but before it'll work other than in certain specified locations -- that is, for instance, in busy city-to-city corridors like Boston to New York -- the American public will need to accept the concept of giving up their individual cars.  We've got so many open stretches that building new rail lines will take tremendous investments - both in dollars and in faith that the investment will be repaid.

[RichFox]

A SF/Sacramento to LA San Diego high speed rail is being considered and has been for years. Millions have been spent on planning. But no one wants it in their city, here on the peninsula. Everyone if for it somewhere else.

[McRat]

I think the only real way to support a high speed rail will be for overnight cargo.  Rail is best at moving heavy objects (second only to pipe), and with large freight jets running $300 million each, it could play a profitable supporting roll.  On financially viable routes, they could add passenger cars.

But every modern attempt to use rail for more than intracity people-moving or freight, it has not proven to be supportable in the US, it's too big of a country.  Our interstate highway system is very good and hard to compete with.  And even at 250mph, a HSR is not going to replace 600mph passenger jets.

[Geo]

When I worked in China we rode the "High Speed" trains using the overnight schedule, as to not spend on a hotel room and waste daylight with travel.  We went as fast as 80 mph but mainly did not stop at every hamlet on the way.

I have been reading about the fast trains the Chinese were planning then building.  Now they have the fastest in the world.  I hope they are also safe.

China unveils 'world's fastest train link'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091226/ts_afp/chinatransportrail

Geo

[Seldom Seen Slim]

What's new is really old. . .

I remember the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend railroad -- an all-electric railroad that hauled some freight and lots of passengers to and from the big city back in the mid-part of the last century.  My dad would take the South Shore from Michigan City, Indiana - the nearest the South Shore came to our home in southwest Michigan - and go to Chicago Monday mornings and Return Friday evenings.  He'd take "The Morning Hotshot" into Chicago -- and the "Evening Hot Shot" on the way back out.  Those trains ran daily at commuting times -- and both were not only expresses that only stopped at a few of the many stations, but both were labeled as "the fastest regularly-scheduled trains in America" at the time.  They'd boogie along at 100-120 mph, getting the workers to their jobs with the least amount of time wasted while on the train.  I rode the Hot Shot a few times -- it was thrilling, more so as I think back about the rest of the technology that went with -- the rickety (at least by today's standards) cars and roadbed, the many grade crossings where cars and trucks would (we hoped!) patiently wait for the train to zoom past.

Not any more, darn it. . .