Bullet Train America

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Asako_Nishimura

The walking pokedex :p
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I was watching the BBC New America <Live from Tokyo> And they had said that Obama is planning on having a bullet train in America. I was so excited! :D but... my mom didn't like it... :disgust: She was like: "Why in da 'orld 'ould we want a 'ullet train?!"

But yeah. He's thinking about us having a bullet train! :D *Performs the legendary happy dance*
 
Well, Obama is considering magnetic rail (I don't know if they'd be bullet train fast) in America.
 
Bullet trains in New York would make me a very happy girl.
 
That would be super convenient for me. I live in Maryland and it would normally take a few hours (by car or rail) to get to New York and all. With this, it would take maybe an hour.

I've always been a major supporter for the use of railroads in the United States (not surprising given some of my family history) and have long been calling for a magnetic rail in the United States as a means for traveling intermediate distances. Not only would the use of such a system be good for travel, but the construction and maintenance for it would create new jobs.

Here's hoping that such a plan goes through. It would make things a lot easier.
 
Magnet trains are very expensive. I think it's best not investing in them right now. I like what Obama is thinking, but this economic crisis needs to go first before looking at other matters.

Also, the Acela service is more or so a joke, not aiming at middle-class, but more of the upper end who can afford $200 tickets. The trains themselves are nothing compared to the European or Japanese counterparts.
 
Absolutely, yes. Less auto-dependency of any sort is a good thing. Any alternate ways to connect cities is a good thing. Placing rapid-transit along major city corridors is a great way to get trains running in America again and people in general. It's getting out of this automobile mindset that's going to be the toughest part at getting people on board.

Right now, trains are good, but they're by no means cost-efficient for long distance travel and probably hurt the train image. [Local metro on the other hand can work beautifully if it's well funded] If prices on travel came down, I'd love to see what a fully built high speed rail network can handle as fuel begins to become a critical issue. [See future rail maps below]

It's a shame, because there have been many plans in the works for ages. In fact PokemonHero, there's been a highspeed maglev project in the works between DC and Baltimore with eventual connections to other major metropolitan areas since 2002, but got choked running though the Bush Administration. Here's hoping the Obama administration can pick it up and keep it moving.


Expanded System:
intercityrailusa.png

High Speed Corridors:
highspeedrail.png
 
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This won't work. It works in smaller countries like Japan because the small size makes train terminals reachable from any location via walking distance. To make this work in America, they'd need at least three major terminals for every continental state, and that's not going to happen.
 
Who knows. This might do good. And it's possible that it'll cost less than planes. All I know is that the yearly trip to Maryland is gonna be a lot more fun...
 
This is bull and Obama knows it. It's not going to happen. Not for many years.
 
It would be nice if we had fast rail spanning the Megalopolises. That's where they would be the most effective. Magnet trains are initially expensive (what isn't,) but they use less energy and I think they're easier to maintain as well.

We need just more rail in general. I should be able to get on a train in any major city in the U.S. and be expected to reach any other major city without backtracking or having to take something other than a train.

EDIT: Not to mention laying down rail would make jobs. We need demand and building up the rail system would create plenty of it.
 
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I don't really have a clue to how feasible the idea is or isn't, but I can't believe those things can go up to 220mph?! Jesus.
 
One: I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just saying that he's talking about it.
Two: ... I have no idea if it will have anything to do with magnetics... or something like that.
 
http://www.bwmaglev.com/about/maglev_route.htm

There's been a plan in the works for a line between Baltimore and Washington, which is supposed to be the initial link in a line stretching as far north as Boston and as far south as Charlotte. This is probably one of the few areas of the U.S. that would benefit from such as system (perhaps the West Coast could have its own system). The rest of the country has such a low concentration of major cities that the tradeoff coming from the length of the rail lines would make the effort not worth it.

Also, the Baltimore-Washington line is unlikely to come about anytime soon due to the fact that the state of Maryland is already hammered by transportation projects. The main one right now is the Intercounty Connector, a highway that's expected to be finished by early 2012, and after that, the focus will likely be on two planned rail projects: the Purple Line around DC, and the Red Line in Baltimore.
 
Well I'm not sure but California just passed Proposition 1A last year.
But it probably won't be Mag-Lev. =| (LA-SF)

Eh, I support it fully. If they can pass the Stimulus Act, they can certainly build Mag-lev. =P
 
Whenever I go to NYC, I like how much the metro goes with the city. Bullet trains would surely make the 1.5/2.0 hour trip faster, but there's something about those old metro trains that makes me feel almost nostalgic...
 
Well I know that the Orlando-Tampa rail over here in Florida is actually going to start eventually. Florida would benefit greatly from rails connecting our cities. It's really a hassle to drive from Melbourne to any other city... I don't want to wait seven hours when I could get to Tallahassee in one!
 
Personally I think Barack Obama should like... do it when this country has the money...
 
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