Respdonding to The Associated Press' story "President Barack Obama to call for $53 billion for high-speed rail in budget proposal," reader hdw commented: Eugene Hoshiko, The Associated Press A China Railway High-speed train runs in Shanghai, China, last month. China's 56,400 miles of railways are the world's longest and, in some cases, the fastest. The country's drive to develop...
Respdonding to The Associated Press' story "President Barack Obama to call for $53 billion for high-speed rail in budget proposal," reader hdw commented:
A China Railway High-speed train runs in Shanghai, China, last month. China's 56,400 miles of railways are the world's longest and, in some cases, the fastest. The country's drive to develop high-speed rail technology rivals its space program in terms of national pride and importance."It seems like a great idea and is proactive (in the face of nearly certain increases in fuel cost). I agree that it is hard to argue the point that rail ridership is and has been in decline. However, I doubt that the reason behind this is that people love their cars and hate trains. If there were high speed rail system that was efficient, ridership would likely grow. It would do this by providing a mode of transport that is cheaper and less frustrating than flying, and also swifter than driving. Other benefits are: freedom of one's attention to do other things like read, nap, work, or just look at the scenery."
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