Today's math problem...

[brooklynite]

If an Italo (private) high speed train leaves Bologna for Rome at 6:57 AM, and a Trenitalia (public) high speed train leaves Bologna for Rome at 7:02 AM and both travel at 155 mph, why can’t we have train service like this?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Are they using the same rails?

I'm not trying to dodge your question, but I'm guessing there are not two rights of way between those two cities, and that the trains are on the same line. Yes? And they serve the same passenger stations?

155 mph service on the same line leaves little room for error.

[brooklynite]

3. Yes, same teams. Separate tracks at stations

Both trains arrived on schedule.

[betsuni]

2. Because Americans hate taxes, think Republicans won't tax them. The culture is selfish, competitive,

with a low awareness of society (no village square like in Italy). American children are taught they can be anything if they just want it enough. Completely ridiculous high expectations and absurd self-confidence. As Henry Miller said, they stick firecrackers up your ass and tell you you can be president.

[brooklynite]

4. I'd say it's more that...

On long distance trains, the private freight railroads which own the tracks have no incentive to improve them, and on the Northeast Corridor Amtrak has a monopoly and has no incentive to improve service or make costs competitive (nb: our ticket for the 225 mile trip was €39.

[betsuni]

5. In that case, the private railroads are bad at business.

[The Jungle 1]

19. Because repukes have trained us to believe they won't raise taxes.

It is the lie that Reagan started and pulled off and repukes continue to use.
He was going to:
Balance the budget
Cut taxes
Increase defense spending.
What we got was a massive increase in the deficit. So how do we pay off the deficit. Oh taxes.
My state of Pa had a repuke Governor and repuke state congress. We now have the highest fuel tax in the nation. They raised the tax to fix the roads and our roads are not fixed. We also have the most expensive toll road in the WORLD. Thanks repukes. You know one of the issues the repukes are running on in Pa. They claim they will reduce the fuel tax. Cut it in half. Yes that would be the tax they raised. Repukes still have control of the state congress and could lower it right now.
Repukes lie constantly and get away with it.

[Girard442]

6. Thing is, when a business grows to a certain size...

...providing goods and services to people that they want at a price they're willing to pay becomes a low priority.

[MissMillie]

13. I said something similar the other day

but my post was about how corporations can manipulate the stock market to make money, and because they can, their products and services are a very small portion of their business model (as are their employees).

[Joinfortmill]

7. The argument is cost, which I think is faulty.

I traveled by high speed train in Europe. It was awesome.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Because private auto companies use lobbyists

to persuade Congress to further private business interests over public transit.

"Tucker: The Man and His Dream"

[2naSalit]

10. And...

Oil companies are right behind them because cars burn gas and oil products.

[iluvtennis]

17. And both of you hit the nail on the head. In Los Angeles in the late 50s/early 60s,

we had a rail car system that connected the greater Los Angeles area. My grandma worked as domestic worker and took combo of bus/rail cars from the Los Angeles inner city to San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Beverly Hills, etc to go clean folks' houses.

Then the oil and rubber companies made a pitch to go with gas buses and they dug up all of those rails.

How shortsighted they were as 50 years later they started to put some of those rail lines back in place. I will have passed on by the time the greater Los Angeles County area gets a workable commuter train system.

[2naSalit]

18. There's a great documentary...

An old one, that tells this story well, saw it in college.

Detroit lobbied hard and well, along with oil industry, and won against public transportation. Remember when the garage was behind the house rather than out front?

And pavement takes a whole lot of petroleum products to lay out and maintain, too.

[iluvtennis]

22. Think I saw that documentary. It's a shame how capitalism impeded commuter train progress.

[malaise]

9. Let me see

Society v market?

[mitch96]

11. Still working on it in Florida. Miami to Orlando to Tampa.. 125 mph so they say.. I'll believe it

when I see it. cynical me...
m

[MissMillie]

12. Well, it's like this

People want services and infrastructure.

But there's a lot of people who believe that it's not the government's job to provide services and infrastructure, and therefore don't want to pay taxes to fund services and infrastructure. To them "free market" is the solution.

But there's absolutely no incentive for private businesses to expend the cash for a high-speed train. It's cost prohibitive--especially if multiple states are involved.

[Cherokee100]

14. Its called

Its called 'big oil'.

[The Jungle 1]

20. Yup and they are presently making huge record profit.

[jaxexpat]

15. Nothing happens in the USA unless someone profits.

It is the litmus test for all endeavors in our capitalist principality. Whether it be speed limits on hwys or high speed passenger trains, it will not receive public licensing or funds unless there is a corporation to monetize it.

[The Jungle 1]

21. Yea just look how well our monetized healthcare system works. Complete failure

It is by far the most expensive in the world and a lot of Americas can't get any healthcare.
Repukes are trying to do the same thing to education, SS and Medicare.

[DetlefK]

16. The explanation is shockingly innocent: city-planning.

European cities have a city-center, because they have grown outwards from one spot over centuries. In this city-center you will find all sorts of administrations, doctors, lawyers' offices, court-houses... Every single important location situated right next to each other.

This is why it's easy for european cities to have high-speed-trains: You arrive in the city by train and can just walk the rest by foot (or maybe a short distance by subway or streetcar).




In contrast, cities in the US are vast and stretched out. Important locations are scattered throughout the city.

This is why high-speed-trains are impractical in US-cities: You arrive in the city by train, but then you need to rent a car to get around. If you are going to use a car anyways, why not just drive to the other city by car?




Personally, I think high-speed train is a good replacement for domestic air-travel: High-speed-trains are slower, but they are cheaper, safer and more luxurious (leg-room, free Wifi, a dining-car, alcohol...).