Inside America’s First High Speed Rail

[@jackolantern7342]

Not sharing rail lines with freight should also be a priority.

[@TheDizzieC]

But what will happen when the profits plateau and the company is still expected to grow forever? Edit: I'm being sarcastic. All capitalist and privately owned enterprises require unlimited and never ending growth to be considered "successful" by the bourgeois owning class. However, we live on a finite planet and, despite the promises of Capitalists, we have not started extracting resources from space. We are at least several generations away from that. Which is probably more generations than this Earth might be able to sustain its current unlimited growth structure.

[@Ryan_hey]

@@TheDizzieC The benefit that trains provide to society vastly outstrip an individual train's profitability. This is what countries in the EU (as well as Japan & China) understand. Looking at public transit as simply a self-contained, isolated capitalist enterprise will only work sometimes, yet fail in many other circumstances.

[@leiajiang7877]

​@@TheDizzieCcar infrastructure cost the country WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY more but we are still doing it.

[@TheDizzieC]

@@Ryan_hey check my edit.

[@KVixen]

Japanese tech uses magnetic forces. Pretty sure it'll be an entirely separate track.

[@227morgan3]

As a resident of Miami, I have to share that the price for the Brightline from Miami to Orlando is over $80 per person each way. They are a private company focused on maximizing their profits over providing fast, affordable, reliable transportation to the masses. I am 150% behind investing in high-speed rail and public transit in general, but these should be nationalized resources, not investments for private companies to set prices giving them yet another way to squeeze the average American

[@lisascott7509]

Have you seen what they’ve spent so far didn’t accomplish and what they need and have already added in the billions? Do you think you’ll be able to afford this ticket

[@Carakav]

Didn't she just buy a ticket in the video for half that price?

[@benjaminrei1319]

I don’t care that it’s squeezing right now, the infrastructure being built and warning people up to rail is progress, full stop

[@DrizzyB]

​@@benjaminrei1319 true. Progress is progress, but its still good to be reminded of the true end goal

[@patrickjdarrow]

If true this is a huge caveat that went dishearteningly and totally unmentioned

[@georgeuribe3305]

High speed rail is very practical for cites between 200 and 600 miles. It could remove almost a third of flights

[@baramuth71]

Flights will then only make sense if you fly from continent to continent, and high-speed trains will take over transportation within the continent

[@hermesliteratus882]

Normally I don't have any problems with taking the flights. But these days the reliability of our planes is just...

[@JamilLynch]

Airlines don't want to hear that. But F 'em. Build, baby, build!

[@barryrobbins7694]

It could remove almost all the flights. There would be no benefit to flying. HSR is better in every way compared to short distance flights.

[@denelson83]

Which is why the Airline lobby is bitterly against high-speed rail. Remember Southwest Airlines cancelling Texas's initial plans for high-speed rail?

[@Magus__Quinn]

Thank you for covering the workers here, nobody ever does when it comes to these big projects

[@dao8805]

This would have been better if it had been done more on the model of the WPA and cut out the for-profit element. It would have been a better deal for workers to be unionized federal workers than unionized private employer workers. It would have stretched the dollars invested further than the way this was done.

[@Bob_Sacamano]

That's all they do you dolt. Look up CHSR every week its some workers highlights and/or environmental nonsense that makes cost rise.

[@meloneymoore8856]

I agree, I am truly grateful for it

[@DgurlSunshine]

DEI DACA HIRE FOR THE CCP MARXISTS

[@travisbeagle5691]

That's a bunch of BS. One of the major reasons for the massive expenses and delays for government projects is because they are viewed as jobs programs. Even simple infrastructure projects almost always have politicians bragging about how many jobs they'll create.

[@spacecoastaesthetics6990]

Asia and Europe have had High Speed Rails for decades. They're Great

[@The_king567]

They aren’t and you know that read a book

[@eatingyoshi4403]

@@The_king567 Because?

[@The_king567]

@@eatingyoshi4403 they are expensive loud and just not wanted

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

@@The_king567 And somehow the automobile (car, BUS, and TRUCK) and the airplane IS?! Are you sure you’re not OWNED by some energy corporation?!

[@The_king567]

@@user-dj7wv5ok2x I wish I was

[@JamesLucian]

I've traveled to Japan multiple times and the high speed trains are truly incredible. You can go anywhere in the country quickly and comfortably and the price is cheaper than flying. It's embarrassing that the Shinkansen was built in the 60's and in the US we still haven't been able to build anything meaningful here. I am excited for the day that the US has a robust rail system!

[@enjoystraveling]

Wow, I didn’t realize a bullet train was built in the 1960s. I thought it was not as far back as that.

[@fray3dendsofsanity]

@@enjoystraveling Thank the power of the American auto industry lobbyists for making us believe for decades that we could only rely on asphalt/concrete and not rail

[@Holo-qu6ln]

They are built and run by private companies. California has spent a hundred billion dollars on a highspeed rail and has nothing to show for it.

[@zildjiandrummer1]

We're only about... 50 years behind everyone else. Fuck the auto lobby for delaying as much as possible

[@nicklang7670]

The auto lobby has cancelled most of our trains in the past and they are likely going to try to do it to this progress this time. There are lots of ways to kill progressive train projects, it may not seem as obvious as "'f' the trains". Trains construction does not work well if there is constant struggle to develop. The projects take a long time and need to be constantly supported. Constructive criticism is a much more welcome idea in the train world, whereas the car world likes silencing better, safer ways to build.

[@buggs2024]

We are literally 150 years behind Japan in terms of high speed rail technology. And the Shinkansen is publicly owned and funded. Of course America’s is privately owned and expensive as shit. The high speed rail is only meant for the rich to travel quickly and more cheaply than always taking their private jets. Our asses are still going to be driving on dangerous roads while paying premiums for gas.

[@MzShonuff123]

That’s not fair! I’m sure the airline industry was also guilty 😂

[@andrewdiamond2697]

Big Oil. The auto industry is nothing compared to the lobbyists in big oil.

[@TohaBgood2]

We've had highs speed rail since the Metroliner launched in the early 70s. And we've had modern high speed rail since 2000 when the Acela launched. If you don't even know what HSR is what's the point of commenting.

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

High speed rail across the country would be amazing, and it needs to be publicly owned, not privately owned.

[@reidtaylor3433]

It would be amazing if that could happen, but there will need to be some more significant change than just bigger government grants. If profit motive under private ownership is what it takes for HSR to gain footing in the US, I'll accept that in the hopes that it enables public rail in the future.

[@MBrieger]

To me, it makes zero sense. Flying is likely cheaper or not much more expensive and faster. Plus, look at the Network, there are WAY more Airports en route in California than the Train will cover. Very bad investment and waste of Taxpayer money.

[@DLeo14]

@@MBriegerAssuming high speed rails were eventually built throughout the country, it would actually save a lot more money in the long run. For a regular person without much expendable money, that's literally thousands of dollars in car expenses that they would no longer have to deal with, plus it would be better for the environment. It's almost hard to imagine, because it would completely change the way society functions systematically and culturally.

[@JasonAtlas]

Trains not make the planet on fire. That good. More planet on fire more tornado. Tornado bad. Train good, fire bad. Plane make fire.

[@RBzee112]

Exactly, the interstate highway system is not privately owned. Why should rail be?

[@dioxideuniversal]

"There's no reason the United States of America should not be the leader in the world for the high speed rail industry." Sure, there's plenty of reason. It's called the automotive lobby.

[@trevorthefoamer220]

Facts 😔

[@susanfrancis5471]

@@trevorthefoamer220 High speed rails should be publicly owned. (Government) Not private, that will charge you outrageous Cost imo.

[@user-ps2nn5pj4g]

Why should there be any 'HSR leader'??? What's with the US obsession with being 'the leader', anyway?

[@dragon_nammi]

​@@user-ps2nn5pj4g American exceptionalism

[@Duesre]

Mann I rather drive and have full freedom to go wherever I want.

[@mujika.]

I hope that when these become more widely available, the tickets are affordable! These rails could help people access the education, work, or other necessities they need to improve their lives. Which, also stimulates our economy. This is a project worth investing in.

[@Demopans5990]

It should also help address the cost of living crisis in large cities, while also addressing the lack of jobs in smaller towns. Philly to NYC in only 1 hour

[@AVADAMS1967]

Unfortunately, not yet. Orlando < --- > Miami 'coach' Brightline Round trip starts at $108 dollars per person versus a 4-5 hour car ride (230 miles) which runs about 1/2 that cost assuming two people on the trip, and not accounting for vehicle wear and tear. It is only a solution for people who can afford to make the choice to pay more for the 'greener' option. This doesn't take into account the cost of local transportation vs. parking at your destinations. In my mind, the reason foreign rail works so well is because their cities are conducive to it. There is usually a good local system that easily connects High Speed to other systems. American cities have too much sprawl, because we had (stole) too much land to begin with.

[@WilliamTrautman-di9dc]

Plus the cost of insurance, the risk of driving a car and getting killed. Look at the cost of a flight for that trip.

[@stickynorth]

@@AVADAMS1967 She bought tickets for $39/one way... So does that not compute when you double it or are taxes added to that to make it above the $100 mark? If so, I agree. Way too expensive. They need to launch a discount Ouigo-style train on the same route to tap into the budget travel market... Almost all of Europe now has a traditional mainline HSR option and a Spirit/Southwest-style option for like $10 intercity... Ouigo is the most popular brand of these in France and Spain with Flexitrain being the other I believe...

[@pill5384]

😂 This is America, we're in late-stage capitalism now. Unfortunately, any new transportation infrastructure isn't going to be affordable to the consumer. Especially since the companies running the trains will most likely be public they will prioritize profit over affordability.

[@mybachhertzbaud3074]

Just as Eisenhower pushed government to build the interstate highway system, they should have been planning out the same for eventual high speed rail.

[@OneAmongBillions]

There are a lot of good comments to this encouraging video, @mybachhertzbaud3074, but your citing the contribution of one of the good Republicans, Eisenhower, to the U.S.'s infrastructure progress, really touches my soul. I'm a Democrat by the way. Thanks for your contribution.

[@habrasil]

@@OneAmongBillions Two faces of the same coin, mate...

[@mybachhertzbaud3074]

Sadly ,Eisenhower also really messed us up by making Richard Nixon his VP.🤔

[@OneAmongBillions]

@@mybachhertzbaud3074 I laugh out loud and applaud your clever memory!

[@OneAmongBillions]

@@habrasil Could you be anymore obscure in commenting as you have? Reply with explication if you have it in you.

[@fedorbutochnikow5312]

Why does this feel so retro? The rest of the world has had high speed trains for decades.

[@danismithmn]

Oil lobby. One of our biggest weaknesses.

[@yannikn.6743]

@danismithmn I cant let this one pass... American already had on of the best street car systems I have ever seen. Then your government decided to tear it all down for bigger, wider highways, streets and parking lots. Now it backlashes and you have to start all over again. Thats peak American efficiency.

[@morewi]

​@@yannikn.6743 most trolleys and trams went bankrupt in the 20s and 30s. With regional rail tanking with the opening of the highways. The government didn't directly rip anything up

[@yannikn.6743]

@@morewi who build the highways? The government. Who decided that public transport needs to be profitable? The government.

[@morewi]

@@yannikn.6743 everyone did. Otherwise the systems start failing and the service is garbage and it becomes a huge tax burden to the taxpayers

[@scorpion3128]

Better late than never. It hurts knowing that a high speed rail system might be finished only by the time I die but at least those that come behind us will get to enjoy it.

[@Aka.Aka.]

China built more than the entire world in just 10 years. If the people have determination, anything is possible. The American ideology is weak and fails to unite.

[@user-hc7jy9km5h]

Same reaction here, exactly!

[@denelson83]

@@scorpion3128 If climate change does not extinguish the human species first...

[@CoffeeIsGoodActually]

We desperately need high speed rail in the South. Edit: Some of the repliers to my comment need to google "gerrymandering" and stop thinking of the South as a monolith of bigots to make themselves feel better about the ones in their own back yard. That would really help those of us down here trying to make a difference and encourage change.

[@JakeobE]

Isn't the South's population rapidly declining, especially among the Mississippi River?

[@shawnasbury7375]

​@JakeobE To my knowledge, no. I don't know about the Mississippi River areas but I do know that Knoxville TN has been in the Top 5, if not 10, fastest growing cities in the US for at least the last 5 years, maybe longer. However, population count is going down everywhere for many reasons. The reason Knoxville is growing so much is because so many people as far as Texas and California are moving there.

[@esgee3829]

@@JakeobE "among"...you mean "near to"? the south is big and non-homogenous. populations in biggest cities from dallas, austin, and houston to miami and atlanta are growing, but certainly not smaller towns and also not cities in louisiana, mississippi, or alabama (or negligible population growth). also, to be clear, the mississippi river starts in minnesota and winds it's way down to louisiana. so maybe you mean south of the old "mason-dixon line" and east of the mississippi? lot's of interesting way to consider what is north/south and what is east/west in the us&A

[@chrisdriscoll6160]

And the Southwest to the South.

[@vsznry]

na. dont need a train to christian nationalism lololol

[@michaellembck]

Boston to New York to Philadelphia to D.C. would be crazy awesome!

[@rkasnake]

Us in NJ would only benefit going to Boston and DC. Each 4-5 hour ride. But we still need to drive 1 hr to NY or Philly. bleh. But yes we do need it.

[@floydjohnson7888]

@michaellembeck8023 I took the train from Philly to DC a lot last summer (Washington Spirit home matches). I think the basic Northeast service works because things are closer together in this part of the country. I feel that the travel time one saves with Acela is more practical for DC-to-Manhattan.

[@naturesfinest2408]

Yep. There are a bunch of cities throught the u.s that can be connected. Those on the west coast all the way up. The east coast all the way down, the south all the way accross. The mid west through out. It could be great, who knows yet.

[@Airehcaz]

Amtrak has commissioned the construction of high speed trains for use in the Northeast corridor. By all accounts things are going slow, but what you want is already in the works at least! Though the rail infrastructure itself needs major updating, the trains won’t be able to go full speed for like 75% of the time……

[@SuperSmashDolls]

Mom: We have a Shinkansen at home. The Shinkansen at home:

[@nicholasgutierrez9940]

The Las Vegas branch seems to be doing better than the western one. The western one hires locally and then fires everyone once their section is done. There is no efficiency curve, they start from zero always. Because politicians are using it as a way to buy votes, hence why it's taken forever. It was a similar story in Japan. Costs ballooned way over budget and it was widely seen as a publicity stunt. But once it got running, Japan managed to... manage it into fame. Maybe the US can do the same.

[@me0101001000]

Keep in mind that the conditions across Honshu and the Western US are very different, most notably a much broader range of biomes and weather in the Western US, not to mention just more physical area to cover. I don't envy the engineers working on this- they'll have headaches over materials selection and design. Additionally, the US has a very strong car lobby to overcome. A better model would be to look at the French TGV or Germany's Deutsche Bahn, particularly the latter, with VW being a major obstacle. Of course, we'll have to wait and see.

[@nathanandsugar5252]

​@@me0101001000*China has entered the chat- bruh if China can we can

[@jsrodman]

Its mostly a matter of building consistently and building expertise, and avoiding over subcontrscting. Farming it out to Brightline is a step in the wrong direction, but if they built an internal labor force and build consistently they can do a lot of good.

[@me0101001000]

@@nathanandsugar5252 on one hand, yes, that's true. The US and China both have the technological means to do it. But on the other, I'd be careful comparing an authoritarian nation with a command economy to a market economy like the US. While the US has the issue of nonexistent rails and a strong car lobby, China has the issue of unrealistic quotas and the rails going unused due to regular people not being able to afford the fares. I don't know if you speak any Chinese, but there's a social phenomenon called 差不多, which basically means "meh, good enough". In social settings, that's fine. You did your best, now don't worry about it. But in work, it's a bad thing, which refers to being lazy and cutting corners. This attitude has resulted in shoddy workmanship on scales as low as consumer goods, to as large as fake buildings to meet development quotas.

[@IL_Bgentyl]

Travel in Asia was ridiculously cheap. Not needing a car saves so much money and was very friendly for youth. Honestly all around amazing imo.

[@noco7243]

Then go to Asia.

[@APHRODITEHAO]

@@noco7243 No, this is his/her country, she has right to want something good for the country

[@Strawlighte]

If projects are being completed with public funds, they should be publicly owned imo. I am so excited to finally see high speed rail in this country tho

[@adventurefaps9571]

But that would be communism!!! /s

[@ripplecutter233]

This is America, this thing will be privatized and it will not be for the poors. Hope I'm wrong tho

[@KrishnaAdettiwar]

It’s only being partially publicly funded. Brightline has billions in private funding going into the project and the Florida route uses privately owned track as well. The airlines also use public funds and no one thinks they need to be publicly run. Sometimes public-private partnerships are a great thing because they move projects very quickly and the standards are much higher (Brightline’s passenger experience and on-time performance is way, way better than Amtrak)

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

​@@ripplecutter233 Trumpanzee terrorists stormed the US capitol for an INFINITELY less important cause than the TRULY IMPORTANT cause of keeping rail public. They were just a bunch of sore losers of a legal election. People will storm governments capitols and riot if they are not given high speed rail.

[@MasonJarGaming]

@@KrishnaAdettiwarI feel that It’s important to stress that the Abysmal delays that Amtrak expectancy is not Amtrak’s fault. They are caused by freight companies violating the law and the department of justice’s lack of care. If you look at just the northeast corridor where most of the track is owned by either Amtrak or New Jersey transit the punctuality of trains is quite good, and expected to get better with the gateway project.

[@joyfulsip3615]

This is a beginning that the US needs. There will be bumps in the road but I have no doubt we’ll work it out.

[@baramuth71]

absolutely, but the mistakes of the past are the problems of today and that is having an impact now.

[@themightyflog]

Problem is our cities are already built around cars. This will just be a waste of money between airplanes and cars.

[@baramuth71]

@@themightyflog That's why the cities look so run-down and unattractive, in contrast to European cities. Practical and comfortable looks different.

[@scopie49]

@@themightyflog It's not a waste of money. It's a long term investment. When rail lines are built everywhere including HSR across vast distances and better inter-city connecting projects.. People sitting in their cars on the highway watching a 180MPH train go flying by them might wonder.. Huh. Why am I sitting in gridlock when I could be on that train right now? The ONLY way to fix car traffic and car dependency is viable alternatives. Governments have bulldozed entire neighborhoods to make way for cars. There's no real reason we couldn't bulldoze entire sections of highways and horrible side streets to make room for rail, trams, buses, bikes. By doing absolutely nothing car traffic will get worse and worse. Places like LA can have commute times of 4 hours by car already. The only solution is build alternatives to cars because EVERY other form of transportation is more efficient for moving mass amounts of people.

[@themightyflog]

@@baramuth71 Agreed. I hate American cities.

[@AmericaOnRail]

I really glad that more and more media are covering this project, I think once this is up and running people and leaders will see what HSR can do for America and there will be a new rail renaissance in America

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Great piece! America NEEDS to build out HSR between their large economic powerhouses (NEC, SF/LA, PNW, Chicago/Midwest, Texas Triangle) and bring back regional passenger rail that connects to these high-speed trunk lines. Regarding transportation, Americans have been taught to think of the car as being the greatest tool of freedom, but it’s not really freedom when you are essentially required to buy a car just to live your life. True freedom is having access to viable alternatives to driving and being able to make the choice for yourself.

[@baramuth71]

Bingo

[@OblivionFalls]

We lived in near Houston for 8 years and it was horrible. We couldn't do anything without the car. Everything we needed was (theoretically) within 20 minutes by foot, but we couldn't walk anywhere safely due to lack of sidewalks. It wasn't safe to bike either, too many careless drivers with no notion of how to share the road with anyone else. The roads had no shoulder either, so you were either in range to be run over or you were sitting in a ditch. I sure love the freedom of being forced own a car. Forced to sit in traffic. Forced to pay for gas and insurance. Forced to spend thousands of dollars every few months when something breaks. I'm glad we left.

[@baramuth71]

@@OblivionFalls and where did you go, and what are you doing today

[@arthurpasseri4590]

Please, if you don't want to drive, I'll be the first to say be my guest. However, I doubt you'll see a passenger train to Northern Maine, Key West or Ellsworth, Maine...

[@OblivionFalls]

@@baramuth71 Small town in Alaska. Everything is pretty compact and close together, and there are good sidewalks. We no longer own a car and we're doing well for ourselves :)

[@KRM85]

Japan is on a whole different level. Love that place.

[@I..cast..fireball]

I like trains.

[@pjw3438]

DO NOT let China steal this technology !

[@John_259]

Some essential requirements: 1. Learn how to do it properly from China. 2. No sharing with freight trains. 3. All electric overhead catenary power. No diesel. 4. No level crosssings. 5. Low fares. 6. No profits. Operated as a service to the people, not to make money for the rich.

[@redeastwood4850]

Main thing being railroad crossings that cars can't breach when the train is coming.

[@davidmenasco5743]

Absolutely!

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

@@redeastwood4850 Already mentioned, in case didn’t notice….

[@otockian]

Will never happen, no profit would be labeled as socialism by all the idiots here...

[@tann_man]

Nah. No more forcefully confiscating citizen's labor for bad poorly managed projects that create scarcity and lack of options due to anticompetitive funding and regulations. The roads should be private. The rails should be private.

[@me0101001000]

It's been long overdue, but I'm glad the US is shaking off its car addiction and investing more in public transit.

[@sevens3]

Your lips to gods ears!

[@themightyflog]

Gotta fix the cities first. They are not walking cities. It won’t work or catch on. I can walk around any Asian, Latin American and a European cities with ease. Houston is an hour away from Houston.

[@pavelow235]

The data doesn't support that assertation. Private car ownership (think Teslas) as a percentage of the population is GROWING! "The number of registered vehicles in the United States increased by 3.5% between 2018 and 2022, from 269,417,884 registered vehicles to 278,870,463 registered vehicles, indicating an upward trend in car ownership."

[@michaelramirez5541]

@@pavelow235well there is the fact that us infrastructure mainly supports and caters to cars to keep in mind. No ones going to use different methods of transport like trains if they don’t exist but they are many pushing

[@commentorsilensor3734]

By supporting you need cars to use rails, USA will not get off addiction from cars. Selfish train lovers work very hard to make sure big parking lots at each train station even if station is in traffic congest expensive real estate neighborhood. When bus services are cut, many train lovers don't feel compassion. I have the feeling they even celebrate. Train lovers are biggest car addicts.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

It's about time!

[@emulator2868]

I see many people here blame automotive lobby, but nobody mentions airline lobbies. They are just as much to blame for the lack of high-speed train travel as an automotive industry, if not more. Many people forget that out of all passangers who use airlines, between 35%-45% have a fear of flying in some shape or form and if given a choice, would prefer a fast ground travel. Airlines have more to lose. Some competition in high speed travel woudn't hurt and would most likely bring the plane ticket price down.

[@modeltrainmaster0838]

Let me remind everyone that public transit should be public owned, also I love how they go to Florida and not the northeast corridor where trains run most of the journey at 100 mph.

[@I..cast..fireball]

Not many NEC run at 100. Most run about 80.

[@miles5600]

not publicly owned, it needs to be privately owned, but surveillanced by the federal government to make sure things are still going as intended.

[@KesSharann]

Florida's Brightline averages about 69mph, which is certainly not high speed.

[@Matok1]

@@miles5600 Yeah we've seen how that's worked out with freight rail lately, which is.. not so good. Problem is the corporations that are supposed to be regulated start telling the government what regulation they do and don't want, and make 'donations' based on whether or not they get what they want.

[@Demopans5990]

​@@Matok1 There's an easy way around that. Open the competition to international corps. Worked in the EU where governments own the rails and right of way, and it's mostly private companies running operations

[@dzonikg]

Thing off this ,China opened its FIRST high speed rail line in 2008 .Now it has 45 000 km or 3/4 off whole world and its still growing

[@timothyrockwell2638]

And... the price of travel by Chinese high speed rail has been so competitive with airline travel, it has ended their reliance on flights for short and mid range travel (200-500km).

[@GBR9794]

@@timothyrockwell2638 only four major lines are profitable though. they overbulit it.

[@hermesliteratus882]

@@GBR9794 We certainly don't have an overbuilding problem here.

[@furTron]

@@GBR9794 infrastructure is not designed to be profitable. It’s there to sure people. And after all, what part of highway network is profitable?

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

​@@GBR9794socialist cpuntrirs doesnt care about profit, they just want to increase the quality of life of its citizen.

[@SimonLaw]

Building a high speed rail has far more benefits to the country than its cost. The society will need to understand this and push it hard for a brighter future for our country.

[@denelson83]

But it has a massive short-term cost for the capitalist elites, who have invested literally _trillions_ of dollars in the car being the only viable mode of ground transport in the US, and will fight _to the death_ to protect those investments.

[@Pistolita221]

@@denelson83 Also the police like cars. You can't pull over a random black guy and beat him up on the side of the road if he's on a bus or train, you can only do that if they're in a single-person vehicle.

[@SethSinclair]

@@denelson83not really if this high speed railing boom happens they’ll definitely switch over, and it’s not like every single American is going to be using high speed railing anytime soon. Let’s not get doomsday about things. Not saying some won’t fight it but they’ll be the ones broke lol

[@denelson83]

@@SethSinclair You do not know just how powerful the capitalist elites are.

[@commentorsilensor3734]

In order to utilize HSR, stayed of the art public transportation must exist at each major cities. Smaller cities must have good public transportation. Even smaller towns should have some kind of public transportation. Then we are dealing the out of touch selfish HSR supporters who do not want 8t n try to siphone the money from local bus service l

[@lewinglobalmedia6275]

you can thank the auto lobby for no high speed trains.

[@justinfowler2857]

The great American Streetcar Scandal

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Don’t forget their buddies at the oil lobby

[@bonesandbells]

Also Southwest Airlines in Texas. It's regional and commuter rail that is desperately needed first and Southwest made a lot of their initial money on the Texas triangle and lobbied against rail in Texas.

[@adventurefaps9571]

Petroleum industry as well. As well as banks/financial orgs that have a huge amount of money in oil/auto and have no interest in losing their guaranteed profits.

[@BJones-yw4dd]

Why is everyone here forgetting the biggest elephant in the room? HELLO! BIG OIL demands our fossil fuel addiction continue and to hell with our chldren's future....

[@myusername570]

Damn, strong union jobs, made in America materials, and high speed rail by the end. I could only dream

[@maximemeis2867]

big waste of money

[@Tuxfanturnip]

it's the usual shuffle of getting a german company to build a new factory for a new train set that they'll then shut down so there's no way to maintain or expand the fleet, and the next time another rail line is built they'll need to hire them to build another new factory for another new train....

[@Jayx20jxa]

@@Tuxfanturnip siemens mobility has had a manufacturing plant in california for like 30+ years seems like it has been going fine for them

[@Aencii]

​@@maximemeis2867Did you just describe: owning a car?

[@maximemeis2867]

@@Aencii if you think a car is a waste of money you are free not to buy one. Unfortunatelly taxpayer have no choice on wasting their money on high speed train

[@mpls844]

We need PUBLIC high speed rail that serves the People with low, accessible costs in the long term.

[@tann_man]

No private industry and competition provided better service and it doesn't require forcefully confiscating the labor from poor citizens.

[@suryakantibiswal]

​@@tann_man first stop tipping culture . What's the point of giving to private companies when they keep all the profits ? They suck out of the employees share . Plus , look at your healthcare system . Things like education, healthcare and public transportation should never be handed over to private companies .

[@tann_man]

@@suryakantibiswal US healthcare isn't private. It's a public/private partnership with a lot of state enforced regulatory capture and state enforced monopolies and subsidies etc... The education system is overwhelmingly public. The US is one of the top spenders in the world per student and what do we have to show for it? Our test results are abysmal. Over the past 100 years of transition from private to public education literacy rates have DROPPED. Schools should never be public. You send your kids there to state indoctrination facilities and we wonder why they learn next to nothing. Privatization means the expansion of consumer choice by introducing competition among providers, which leads to lower prices and better service quality. Private firms are accountable to consumers through market forces. Poor performance or high prices leads to loss of customers and reduced profitability. Many privatization initiatives worldwide have successfully improved service delivery, reduced costs, and increased consumer satisfaction. Privatization in the British rail system spurred innovations in customer service, introduced competitive pricing, and brought about modernization of rolling stock and stations.

[@wno1043]

@@tann_man Who is "forced" to provide labor?

[@wno1043]

@@suryakantibiswal Spoken like a true Marxist-socialist. An employee provides labor at an agreed price. No one is forced to work.

[@mbaktari8194]

I have rode CHINESE HSR that run 350 KPH.....220ies MPH ! It's smooth and faster than SHIKANSEN.

[@arthurpasseri4590]

As someone who wouldn't trust anything Chinese made, you can. Chinese do not care about safety..

[@wno1043]

"I have ridden." not "I have rode."

[@foodparadise5792]

In China, only trains go above 300 km/h or 188mph considered high speed rail, below 300 mark trains are called motor car... So by Chinese standard, that thing in Florida doesn't even consider high speed rail. And why high speed rail come in contact with pedestrian, vehicle crossing? It is a suicide trap? High speed rail tracks should be on elevated ground and fenced on both sides.

[@Hsjdcuusudufjshhchjsjs]

No 1 gen trains has max 250. And 3 gen trains operate in big range which is goes lower than 150. Anyway in some places, and depens on wather its has to decrease speed. There is no only 300 +. This is not age or something where there isnt any backwards. If its 300+ how can it be stopped. The only way peoples can get in is station which can reach 300

[@debbabe2254]

She stated that the train from Miami to Orlando was not considered "high speed." She was riding this route because Brightline is the company building the first high-speed rail from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.🚄

[@LWJCarroll]

From over here and having been a tourist to the USA, it’s about time you showed yourselves as being up to speed (Yes the Pun!). with the likes of Japan, Europe and China . Laurie N Z.

[@simplesimon8255]

Why is it about time?

[@LWJCarroll]

@@simplesimon8255 because from over here it looks like the US is way behind in this transport technology. Not competitive at all nor leading it. Fyi.

[@simplesimon8255]

@@LWJCarroll why should it be competitive or lead it?

[@morticia3295]

This will change lives. My mom lives in another state, this will enable us to see each other much more often!

[@christophercarlone9945]

The rail system in Japan blew me away when I traveled there six years ago. Coming back home I felt very depressed looking at what was around me.

[@kinni143]

If you go to China to take the high-speed rail, you will think the Japanese high-speed rail is a joke... so what if you go back to the United States

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

I just LOVE how the richest, most capitalist country to ever do a capitalism is DECADES behind the rest of the world in regards to public transportation, urban development, and public health care! We're #1! We're #1!!!

[@jjgreek1]

That’s because Americas distances are so vast, flying make more sense

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

@@jjgreek1 BS. Both Europe and China are of similar size and both have vast railway systems. Also we're the USA AKA the richest country in all of human history. We can literally build whatever we want.

[@user-dj7wv5ok2x]

@@TheAmericanAmerican But don’t, because gullible, moronic politicians are controlled by the automotive and airline industries, and the energy corporations--they’re the ones keeping the nation from constructing the needed inter coastal HSR system so badly overdue now!

[@enjoystraveling]

@@jjgreek1 Russia has a distance that is so fast yet it has the Siberian express, which has the train go from. I believe St. Petersburg all the way across to the other side of Russia near where you can take the ferry to Japan if you

[@enjoystraveling]

I meant to write that Russia has a distance that is so vast

[@robsquared2]

I'm glad musk's hyperloop failed but am sad his ploy to delay high speed rail worked so well.

[@arvindkatiyar526]

Hyperloop is in test stage in China 1000kph

[@exjock4foodie]

This high-speed train is so slow compared to high-speed train in China. Elon musk’s hyperloop is better

[@MrAlen6e]

Hyperloop is a failed marketing campaign to slow high-speed train North America and for Musk to sell more EVs.

[@OblivionFalls]

@@exjock4foodie Elon's hyperloop never exceeded 107mph. Typical high speed rail is over 120mph, with some exceeding 220mph.

[@user-ib1gu1uz8z]

Although I am not a supporter of Elon Musk, I must say a few words in his defense. I think that his project with Hyperloop is simply ahead of our time; there are not yet sufficient technologies for its implementation. And in general, it seems that some forces are specially holding him back.

[@AlexKawa20]

Projects like these create jobs, strengthen unions, and fight climate change. Who could possibly be against this?

[@radishpineapple74]

Automobile industry and car addicted people

[@CBGBBB]

I’ve been dreaming of a 2-3hr train ride from Chicago to Minneapolis for years now. I really hope I can experience that soonish. 😂

[@dvdv8197]

More perfect union stepping up their game with more perfect videos and presenters! 👍👏❤️❤️

[@usukapal]

I agree, nice to see Pete Buttigieg on this video

[@mako9673]

Definitenly need more high speed rail. Hopefully offsetting competion in the airline inudstry and get some more cars off the roads as well. I do like a roadtrip, but would prefer some rail on some cases.

[@Demopans5990]

Road trips suck once a bunch of people start driving. No better way to suck the fun out once all the kids yell "are we there yet?".

[@GBR9794]

@@Demopans5990 "we are almost there, honey"

[@denelson83]

"Competition"... The worst cuss word in capitalism's book.

[@QuantumNoir]

​@@denelson83Even though competition and free market are supposed to be essentials of capitalism.

[@denelson83]

@@QuantumNoir They are not. It is only capitalism when wealth flows from the poor to the rich.

[@josephs3973]

For context (and shame), Japan built their first bullet train between Osaka and Tokyo (320 miles) in five years (1959 - 1964) at a cost of $30M per mile (2024 USD). The California High Speed Rail started construction in 2015, and they haven't even completed phase 1 (500 miles) expected to be done by 2035 at a cost of $40B. That's 64 miles per year at $30M per mile vs 25 miles per year at $80M per mile, for a train going half as fast, 50 years later.

[@pavelow235]

So now you are advocating "underpaying" construction workers (a very deadly job)......dumb....

[@naturesfinest2408]

Inflation caculator needed. Yes it us still dissapointing, half as fast. But we need to take into accoumt technological changes and beuracratic/big business red tape when determing how much we can build at a time. I agree, overall, still pretty disapointing...curently. since their is money to be made, someone is trying to make it.

[@tren133]

Also there is no way in hell the CAHSR line is gonna be done for 40 bil. For a more recent example, China, with all the government support in the world expediting their HSR buildout, estimated it would cost around 20 billion USD (in 2008 money) to build the Beijing Shanghai line, and ended up spending 35 billion. Now they think they can get this line done in CALIFORNIA for just 40 billion in 2030s money? No way. Edit: According to the wiki, they've ALREADY spent 11 billion just to work on (not completed yet) 119 miles of the 494 mile initial SF to LA line. So that's 11 billion to not even complete ONE FIFTH of the line!

[@qvidtvm-s5h]

The California landscape is considerably rougher than the Japanese one, and America as a whole has a much more varied landscape than China in terms of geological hurdles trains have to surmount, probably doesn’t make up nearly all the excess cost but it does factor

[@tren133]

@@qvidtvm-s5h America very much does NOT have a more geologically challenging landscape to build rail or roads through. You can google the Yaxi Expressway, a 240 km long freeway which contains 270 viaducts and 27 tunnels. Or the new 261 km Chengdu-Zigong-Yibin high sped rail, with trains traveling at 350 kph over 231 bridges and 29 tunnels. Or the Qinghai-Tibet railway, with nearly 1000 km of track located 4000 meters or more ABOVE SEA LEVEL, including a station sitting at 5068 meters above sea level. What's the American version of that? Denver at just 1600 meters above sea level? Would be a moot point anyway since the United States does not possess the engineering knowhow to build such infrastructure projects, even if they had such landscape to build it on.

[@uog293]

$66b is a drop in the bucket we need $1T

[@baramuth71]

because too much has been invested in roads, the biggest mistake of the usa

[@exjock4foodie]

Sorry. At least 10T

[@naturesfinest2408]

​@@baramuth71wasnt a mistake when it began, quickly it became one. The reason for roads, and more specfically highways, was for war. To move tanks and military supply across the U.S. This quickly became another way for people to move and then, just as quickly, a way to make money. Despite what it is now, cars used to be a cheap way to get around, again that fell off long ago.

[@SethSinclair]

@@exjock4foodiethat’s like close to half of our gdp, you might wanna check your data

[@simplesimon8255]

Fat chance with all the national debt we’re sitting on

[@vinrock3918]

As long as it's nationalized and kept out of private corporations.

[@denelson83]

Which will not be the case for Brightline West.

[@rohanb3402]

No, high speed rail being publicly owned is why it failed.

[@denelson83]

@@rohanb3402 Tell that to SNCF or Deutsche Bahn.

[@arthurpasseri4590]

That's called Socialism, wrong country, I love Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise.

[@thejquinn]

@@arthurpasseri4590 So wouldn't more people having affordable access thus produce more entrepreneurship and free enterprise?

[@JBoy340a]

I wish we had high speed rail like the EU does. We rode the Quigo rail shown at the beginning of the video from Marseille to Paris, 490 miles. It was much faster than driving. About 4 hrs versus clopse to 7 hrs. The train made 4 stops for 5 minutes each. We were able to sit in comfort, eat lunch, nap, and watch the countrside go by. About $40 per person.

[@simplesimon8255]

Why do you wish that?

[@jl8942]

If growth and profits are the priorities then it will be a failure. If getting people from point A to B quickly and safely are the priorities then it will be a success. Put people before profits.

[@bartdoo5757]

Go live in public housing.

[@OneAmongBillions]

@@bartdoo5757 Go grow a conscience. Do you want the world to be a worse place? What's wrong with you? I say that hoping you are at least minimally a decent human being. I look forward to your reply.

[@OneAmongBillions]

@JL8942 Good point. Agreed. People and quality of life at all levels must come before profits. Keep going!

[@bartdoo5757]

@@OneAmongBillions Private companies operate better and more efficiently. Any bottled water company versus Flint, Michigan public water would be better.

[@OneAmongBillions]

​@@bartdoo5757 You say that private companies operate "more efficiently" presumably more efficiently than publicly provided services. Do you ever wonder what "more efficiently" means? Efficient in what way? With what outcome? Individuals have started private companies, like Amazon, and then gone on to sequester in their accounts billions of dollars that are no longer available for use in improving the lives of Americans, even though American workers created that value. Sure, Bezos has been very efficient. But is it really folks like Bezos that you support, represent, stand by, and would die for? I prefer to support the millions of folks in warehouses working forty or more hours a week just to get by. And I support workers because I am an American.

[@kene4478]

WOW.... 130 MPH!!! like the one in Nigeria, Africa!👍

[@NicksDynasty]

It should be from Downtown L.A.-Rancho-The Strip-Downtown Vegas

[@icephoenix5466]

As a German I am so happy you Go with Siemens. ❤ love to the US 💕🇩🇪✨🇺🇸💕

[@0xTK]

siemens(US), all materials are source from US

[@Asante-9ii]

@@0xTK But the Tech is from Germany bro, happy for German engineer

[@0xTK]

@@Asante-9ii Tech is from Germany, most of engineer is new gen German-American

[@arthurpasseri4590]

Yes, Foreign made Trains...Let's spend our TAXPAYING DOLLARS TO GERMANY!! Thanks Biden..m

[@dislikepineapples]

​@@arthurpasseri4590 Welcome to global trade 😂 Europe sells stuff, America sells stuff. Nothing unusual, really

[@Quadratic4mula]

Thank God!! I've been waiting for this for years.

[@SethSinclair]

People like high speed rail that much 💀 it’s jsut a box that goes fast

[@Quadratic4mula]

@@SethSinclair It's safer than driving and now the airlines will have to compete for our business.

[@The_king567]

@@Quadratic4mula wait more we don’t want this

[@The_king567]

@@Quadratic4mula it’s not and you know this

[@thndr_5468]

High speed rail is a no brainer. We need it yesterday!

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Brightline West is off to the races, promising to be completed by the 2028 Olympics in LA. That sounds a little ambitious, but if they pull it off that would really help Rancho Cucamonga and the surrounding region. CA HSR had to be scaled down because of budget and schedule overruns, so Bakersfield to Merced will get it first, and that could spark some much needed economic growth in that region. But if/when it connects the SF Bay Area to the LA Metro region, I suspect that's when it will start to drive serious growth. HSR is costly not just because of the huge land mass of the US, but also because track and power transmission have to be built to accommodate and power the trains. Existing road and rail infrastructure often have to be redesigned to allow HSR to go through without impacting either (CA HSR has a ton of videos where they're doing this), and then there are the inevitable land use disputes and lawsuits (biggest reason why CA HSR is behind schedule). And on top of all that we have to make sure that this new system is safe and reliable, we don't want a situation like in China where 40 people were killed and many more hurt in a single collision.

[@jaredhamilton8694]

There are also other factors dragging out CA HSR that you didn’t mention, like the lack of HSR experience in both the design and construction teams meaning everything needs to be learned from scratch, California environmental regulations dragging the process out with a decade of impact studies, or the obstruction of federal funding by house republicans early on into the project’s life cycle.

[@baramuth71]

if you can't understand one thing, there are no problems for roads when land is needed there, but for rails and tracks you have lawsuits on your hands ? it's clear who's behind it, the brainless lobbyists

[@matt1863]

Fusion power plants will be here before the US has high-speed rail.

[@jonfe.darontos]

What do you mean by "here"? Maybe in Europe and Asia...

[@starventure]

If you have fusion power, trains are cheap to operate.

[@Hsjdcuusudufjshhchjsjs]

​@@jonfe.darontosthe only country which ever had net positive energy gains from the fusion reaction is from the us .

[@jonfe.darontos]

@@Hsjdcuusudufjshhchjsjs We can science. We love science. Building infrastructure on the other hand? Our grandchildren will see the final ecological impact studies planning commission submit their first proposal for next steps to develop a framework for evaluating the technology.

[@dellcoc]

This took far too long to get started. Capitalism also blocks a lot of progress, as greed it part of it's foundation.

[@navajojohn9448]

Bright Lie is raising the monthly commuter tickets for the 50 mile one way trip between W. Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl from $399 for 40 one way tickets to $1400. Comparison the NY Long Island RR charges less than $300 for unlimited use monthly pass for same trip mileage.

[@davidmenasco5743]

Time to nationalize? Replacing cars with trains benefits every person who breathes air.

[@simplesimon8255]

@@davidmenasco5743why do you hate cars so much? Do you really expect me to give up my dream car that I worked so hard to get?

[@davidmenasco5743]

@@simplesimon8255 It's not that I hate cars. It's that people in the US have been systematically deprived of other options ever since the oil and auto companies colluded to destroy the nation's public transit infrastructure 80 years ago, and used their lobbying clout (in other words, their MONEY) to make sure it could never come back. The oil companies hate public transit and used their massive profits to destroy it. As a result, now millions of people have to pay the oil companies a king's ransom every week just to get to work. For a small fraction of that amount, we could have free public transit in every urban area, and just by coincidence, we would also have CLEAN AIR TO BREATHE. Wouldn't that be nice?

[@simplesimon8255]

@@davidmenasco5743 Greenhouse gas emissions have been declining year-over-year since 2005, even as car ownership has remained high, so your "clean air" point is moot. And why don't the public transport companies take on big oil? Look, I'm as opposed to Big Oil as you are. I don't think they should have a monopoly, but you're being disingenuous by saying we should replace every car with trains, which would not benefit everyone. Rural America, anyone?

[@laurie7689]

@@davidmenasco5743 I'm not concerned about clean air. I'm concerned about my convenience, which my auto provides better than public transit would.

[@dollazNzentz]

My wife and I will be going to Europe at the end of the month for vacation. Traveling across 4 different countries exclusively by train. It’s a fast and cheap option. I’m hoping the US can deliver! We’re such a big country and there’s soo many places I would like to see by train just here in the US!

[@simplesimon8255]

Here we go again. Europe, Europe, Europe. Why do you want to please the Euros so bad? Why not please Americans?

[@segment932]

I live in Kolbäck Sweden and have a five min walk to a train station. That is a game changer how I get around. So huge congrats to America for taking the first steps (train carts) in to the new world.

[@simplesimon8255]

Why are you congratulating us?

[@381delirius]

We need to get away from airlines and their tricky baggage fees and delays

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Not to mention the whole constantly-burning-fossil-fuels-in-order-to-(allegedly)-not-fall-out-of-the-sky-like-a-brick thing.

[@MidwestBoom]

​@@eyesofthecervino3366We Could have unlimited Carbon-free energy right now with nuclear power. But people just don't like nuclear power.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

@@MidwestBoom Yeah. And now even if we started building reactors tomorrow we'd still need to transition to renewables just to bridge the gap until they're ready. Though to be fair I'm also pretty frustrated that we talk about "nuclear" under one broad umbrella, and then decided to develop uranium instead of thorium reactors, so now even the safer, cleaner nuclear energy has this stigma attached to it just by association. It's an absolute mess all around.

[@The_king567]

@@381delirius wrong

[@381delirius]

@@The_king567 everyone has their own personal opinions

[@Kopernicus67]

Our cites are a mess. Every new lane of freeway has to displace people and businesses. Every new lane has diminishing returns as far as flow. Our cities are simply parking spaces for our individual transportation. Car prices, insurance prices are skyrocketing. People buy bigger and bigger vehicles for their overweight butts and pecking rights to kill other drivers, while they remain 'safe'. It cannot go on when we will be 400 million people in the next 20 years. We have a neighbor building a home, where the garage portion is larger than the home itself. Idiocy.

[@realquadmoo]

CAHSR has been under construction for years, this is not America’s first high speed rail project.

[@LeafHuntress]

Finally!

[@antihipsterboho]

Owned by a private investor in the united emrates. Something shady is going on here. We had a rail line, we ripped out the infrastructure for highways and freeways.

[@kalexambing2507]

Pete is quietly slaying his current role. I hope he gets the opportunity to run again

[@arthurpasseri4590]

Putt Buttplug should be laughed off the stage if he ever ran again...

[@osmanhossain676]

I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California and Brightline West.😮

[@NimrodTargaryen]

The ease of use and carbon footprint of high speed rail compared to flying is undeniable…. And here is the US with BILLIONAIRES blocking efforts for their own gain… sometimes it feels we live in a Third world country

[@askdoctorwebster]

Please say Colorado

[@mujika.]

I think the map showed a possible future rail going through Denver! 😁

[@askdoctorwebster]

@@mujika. it is but I was hoping it would be the first one lol I have no actual reason to go to Denver at the moment but you know hey I like technology I like the ability to go somewhere if I want to. But our governor mentioned it in the state of the state address

[@OutsideSometimes]

High speed proper probably isn’t coming to CO, but 78-110mph trains have been proposed for the Front Range Passenger Rail project at least. It’s not true high speed rail, but I think it would be fairly comparable to the current Acela service on the east coast.

[@mujika.]

Yeah, I’m about an hour north of Denver. I (personally) don’t like driving there, so I really only go that way when heading to the airport, lol. However, I would probably visit more often if there were a train I could get on for easy transportation to and from. I enjoyed walking around the city in certain areas and I do want to visit some of the more popular attractions. The only reason I don’t is because I don’t enjoy driving around there. Even where I live, parking is a nightmare in many spots and traffic can get pretty congested. So I really agree with both of you. I’ll take what I can get when it comes to public transportation, but I also really want it to be affordable.

[@AaronBurt-gh6yb]

@@mujika. Connections to Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City would all make sense as part of a general southwest network of cities a few hundred miles apart

[@tjjones33]

this video gives me hope for this country

[@guilhermebrito8326]

I hope the United States can develop a big high speed rail industry. They need to boost their infrastructure as soon as possible.

[@simplesimon8255]

Why do you hope we can develop HSR?

[@guilhermebrito8326]

@@simplesimon8255 To improve your infrastructure.

[@simplesimon8255]

@@guilhermebrito8326 what does it matter to you?

[@guilhermebrito8326]

@@simplesimon8255 I just like the country.

[@simplesimon8255]

@@guilhermebrito8326 where are you from? Judging by your name, Portugal or Brazil?

[@1LaOriental]

Japan has had the bullet train for decades. 200mph.

[@ItsAllCulturalMarxism]

Geography and culture difference

[@GBR9794]

@@ItsAllCulturalMarxism not really, when they built the first one, big oil and big car lobbists + public critics were harsh on the project.

[@nrichthof]

@@ItsAllCulturalMarxism Very true... Japan has a much more challenging geography than almost anywhere in the US where highspeed rail is needed

[@baramuth71]

@@ItsAllCulturalMarxism that has absolutely nothing to do with culture, why. It just needs to be built. In Europe, I can get on at the top in Norway and drive down to Italy at high speed and without any problems, but relaxed and able to enjoy the journey.

[@hermesliteratus882]

It's not too bad, though it's slower and the network is much smaller than the one in China.

[@honeytgb]

0:16 "Countries around the world with smaller economies" --- that would be the rest of the world 😁

[@fray3dendsofsanity]

It's like such a no brainer it's baffling to me it's taken this long. Our airports are some of the busiest in the world, our highways are some of the most congested. It's literally unsustainable to rely only on cars and planes. The country needed modern trains 30 years ago. I really hope this takes off. American transportation needs to be world class again in order to keep up with our needs

[@WyleCote]

Level crossings will lead to high speed accidents. China has virtually no level crossings because all of the tracks are elevated or underground.

[@user-vo8zx2uj1p]

Not just china in France and i think in the rest of Europe too we're not doing that either precisely because of this, there are some level crossing where train can reach 200 km/h at best but thoses one are guarded to prevent any accident, other regular level crossing are just on more normal railways.

[@solracer66]

Brightline West will have no level crossings on the HSR section.

[@floydjohnson7888]

"F..k yeah grade separation" - unknown rail planner

[@JesseArt]

What's also important about using union labor for such immense building projects is that you can be confident you're going to get a higher quality outcome. My family has been members of LiUNA for generations now, and one thing that is VERY clear when it comes to the construction industry is that you absolutely get what you pay for. LiUNA members have a strong community, they constantly train and are willing to learn new building methods to help carry us all along into the future. My dad and brother built schools, freeways, assembled wind turbines, etc. LiUNA members are on the frontlines of building an America we can all be proud of.

[@maximemeis2867]

Union labor does not guarantee higher quality of outcome. It just guarantees wasted money.

[@corvacopia]

@@maximemeis2867look at the data, union labor makes hire quality products; additionally, the project training more people will expand the workforce with experience to do more of these projects

[@dancingferret6654]

No doubt many union workers take pride in their work, but modern day unions are disasters that protect bad workers and have every incentive to drive costs and timescales up. There's a reason why some companies have spent billions of dollars and years building out new facilities, only to pull the plug on them the moment the workforce unionizes. When it comes to productivity, there is simply no comparison. Nonunion shops blow their union counterparts out of the water. The shot at 3:20 says it all. They care about making the project last in order to extract as much money as possible from it, which in practice is then usually funneled into politics because for some ungodly reason unions are treated differently from corporations so they can get involved in electoral politics. That's why the Biden Admin officials involved keep talking about "union jobs." Unions (but not necessarily union workers) were critical to Biden's election in 2020 and he needs them even more desperately come November.

[@The_king567]

@@maximemeis2867 lies

[@The_king567]

@@dancingferret6654 literally none of that is true

[@neumo5005]

I just had a taste of European high speed rail and I don’t want to go back. That extra comfort is worth it

[@kanders7391]

Private high speed rail will take forever, because business owners will only build where they are assured of max customers who can pay the highest amount for fares. We need a national highspeed network that offers affordable fares.

[@The_king567]

@@kanders7391 no we don’t dude national high speed rail is a terrible idea it more expensive and not wanted to us who don’t want to pay for this nonsense you people are such Morons and hypocrites

[@dpharr100]

This will be viable in a handful of places in the country

[@simplesimon8255]

Really? Like where? Bumfuck, Iowa?

[@scottkramer1077]

Lots of people who have traveled love the overseas rail systes. Makes sense, they're wonderful for travelers exoloring historic city centers of major population areas. Locals, even in places with established rail systems prefer cars and likely always will. Most people don't live in city centers and covering those last few miles is a big deal. Europe has a great rail system that worked well for locals post war that couldn't get cars. Now it's full of foriegn backpackers as the locals drive.

[@osmanhossain676]

Yes.

[@williamsobat8339]

This is great. Thanks for sharing.

[@xevicxavier9802]

May God Bless the U.S.A. USA definitely deserves a high speed rail.

[@Bakapooru]

I hope these trains are truly high-speed rail (greater than 180 mph). Brightline in Florida isn’t high speed.

[@carlbrown3634]

Thanks for sharing.

[@kingofbears6999]

America used to be the decades ahead of the world in railroad tech, now we're decades behind. We should get lightning fast rails. Nothings ever gonna beat flying in terms of speed, but what trains lack in top speed, they can make up for in comfort. Flying is just uncomfortable unless you shill out a lot for a different class in the plane. We should focus on the trains being a good balance between comfort and speed. Trains should also be a more medium distance travel niche. There is saying, "too far to drive, too close to fly" trains could fill this niche.

[@King_Sirocco]

Would love to see a route 66 high speed that does New York, Chicago, Denver, LA. Could be revolutionary

[@ADrew26]

about dam time America

[@BTSflyer]

Texas is really primed for high speed rail. The major cities are perfect distance for HSR. I have written Brightline and will do again in the future. Our Interstate highways are at capacity and need relief. Dallas and Ft. Worth have rail between downtowns and it is great even though its commuter rail. I look at other countries and say why not us here in America.

[@leaf16nut]

Good lord she is utterly perfect 😍

[@Serenesium]

US HSR can never be as perfect

[@hes_alive]

No private HSR.

[@The_king567]

@@hes_alive only private or none

[@ladariussanders4278]

I’ll say public and private would be the best way speed up the development of the high speed rail network system and infrastructure all across our beautiful country 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️

[@smellybearc7411]

The fact that the US still doesn’t have one single high speed rail in 2024 is crazy

[@wno1043]

Why is that crazy? If we really needed it, we would have it. We don't need it. We have an excellent airline industry. We can fly anywhere.

[@god_when333]

Shows you how their ass😂 third world posing as a first world lmao

[@god_when333]

​@@wno1043 and that's climate chage are affecting yall like crazy😂 your cities look like shit with those road layouts🤮 and ppl are getting fatter cause of the reliance on car to go everywhere instead of walking😂

[@abzer0gaming]

We need rails in Michigan's upper peninsula so bad...

[@hermesliteratus882]

But when are we going to get it?

[@barryrobbins7694]

This is about HSR. That wouldn’t make sense for your area.

[@Androfier]

​@@barryrobbins7694A big reason hsr works in other countries is because they work in tandem with other modes of transit, including conventional rail.

[@barryrobbins7694]

@@Androfier Exactly - other modes of transit. HSR exponentially benefits from connecting to well developed regional transit systems. Some people think HSR should go everywhere, even places with low population density. Someone else in the comments was wanting HSR in a town of 10,000 people, a town not even on a travel corridor between larger towns.

[@Androfier]

@@barryrobbins7694 This is what frustrates me about CAHSR, while the system is essential I feel they are forgetting about improving the services that already exist or could exist with less challenges and smaller budgets. Things like shoring up the LA to San Diego line to electrifying the San Bernardino line as examples. The state is trying to shoot for the moon before they even achieve flight.

[@cameronanderson2871]

People complaining about there not being a single train line across the US don’t realize just how big the continental US is. The US is almost 1000 miles or 1600 km bigger than all of Europe in terms of length.

[@osmanhossain676]

I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California.😮

[@MultiAnne36]

Who cares? Its not like Europe. Even if you get from Miami to Orlando, then what? If there isnt a metro in the city you are going to you wont be able to get around easily anyway. Then you need to pay for local transport that is likely inconvenient and inefficient timewise.

[@squ1dTr1cksandclouds]

FINALLY!!!! I went to Europe in 1999 and traveled from London to Rome using the trains. I've been preaching our need for this alternative transportation since I got back! I am THRILLED!!

[@AnonymousMusing]

Please make sure this project is seen through to the end. Vote Blue! 🗳 💙 🌊

[@SgtJoeSmith]

vote blue and it will take 1000 years to finish and never will get done cause some rare butterfly has a home where the tracks are planned. funny you people dont want a pipeline going through the land but you want for train tracks?

[@SgtJoeSmith]

blue took 10 years and $11 billion to build 1 bridge, remember? The Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest skyscraper was built by non union conservatives in 6 years for $1.5 billion. so that $66 billion in tax dollars can get us 6 more rail bridges over the next 60 years or 44 worlds tallest sky scrapers. vote red

[@MrMarshmallow26]

Yeah...... I'll support blue with trains but it's hard to support blue on anything else. It's too bad that passenger rail has major political division.

[@lengmoua16]

If u vote blue ur pretty much suking blm Dik n you support looting n rioting

[@The_king567]

@@AnonymousMusing god no this is a horrible idea

[@lephtovermeet]

Fool me once shame on you, fool me for 60 years in a row shame on me.