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Comment on USA Will Invest in High-Speed Train to Fight Climate Change

These projects are part of an $10 billion investment

California’s HSR system come in at $80 billion for 520 miles, or $154 million per mile. Amtrak estimates that it would cost $500 million per mile to turn its Northeast Corridor route into a true high-speed system. source

For $10 billion, we are talking an additional 20 to 65 miles of high speed rail to be built. This is basically nothing…

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ExLisper@linux.community ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The worst part is that it usually follows well known cycle of:

project is estimated at $10b, government assigns $10b

private companies spend it on consultants and analysis, little gets built

government agrees to invest another $5b but requires cuts to the initial scope

with reduced scope projected passengers numbers drop, project is less attractive

repeat until cost is 1000% of the initial estimate and usefulness is 0. cancel project
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pelespirit@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Most of this is to fund studies and the rest is probably to cover overruns. Is it political for election season? Yes, but still a step in a positive direction. We’re not talking infrastructure week here.

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- BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It’s squandering billions. End.
  
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qooqie@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Drop in the bucket, I’m curious how much it would take to make most of the US/NA traversable by high speed rail

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- AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Depends on what you mean by most.
  
  most of the population is quite achievable. Send a little time at www.ushsr.com
  
  most of the geography, trillions, and we couldn’t afford to keep it operating
  
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- BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  What’s after “trillions”?
  
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  - qooqie@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Kids might say bajillions
    
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sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Think if we instead of giving trillions of dollars to the Ukraine, spent it on our own country. If we spent all that money on this project alone it might actually be beneficial to our people

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- BombOmOm@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Allowing Russia to conquer our allies will hardly get us high speed rail. Not to mention, the vast majority of the money spent for Ukraine actually goes to US industry and US jobs. Congress approves money for Javelin missile production, US contractors produce the components and assemble it, then the Javelins are sent to Ukraine to blow up Russian invaders.
  
  There is visual confirmation of Ukraine destroying over 13,000 Russian vehicles, including over 2,500 Russian tanks. Click the link, every single example has a picture or video showing Russia’s devastating losses.
  
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  - realitista@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Exactly.
    
    Allowing Russia to start conquering Europe will just mean that the US will eventually have to fight a war against Europe, China, Iran, and North Korea. If we allow it to get that far I’m sure they will recruit more countries to their axis. And then the US will have a lot worse problems than lack of high speed rail.
    
    I’ve been against every US military engagement in my 50 year life except this one.
    
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dezmd@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Jacksonville FL to Mobile AL is not included even though old rail and established railway right of way is already in place. Its an incomplete plan out of the gate before even looking at the realities of the funding equating to near goddamn nothing. We need real Trillion dollar funding plans at this point for high speed rail on a national level, use the long range east west/north south interstate cooridors to build over/under to connect coasts and Mexico to Canada on 4 or 5 major lines each.

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