The future of high-speed rail in Texas

[@linuxsisschannel8602]

Trains are like trees. "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

[@andrewh88]

agreed!

[@JoyClinton-i8g]

Trees don't require a $40 BILLION government subsidy to get planted. Passenger rail is a great idea, if someone else is paying for the construction, operation, and maintenance.

[@yuriydee]

Its bizarre to me that you have people in Texas voting against infrastructure that would make your own state greater.

[@ciello___8307]

Americans dont understand how transformative hsr can be. Most of them never left their country before

[@nunyabidness3075]

I have no idea what you are talking about. Please be specific.

[@UmmYeahOk]

They want to see their taxes work for THEM. They have zero plans to ride the rails because right now there’s no point to it if you own a car. In fact it’s so inefficient. People would rather über. They don’t want a HSR to connect Dallas to Houston because when will they ever use it? You still have to somehow transport yourself to the station even if you did want to go to Houston for the weekend. I have seen rail systems work fantastically in other countries, to the point where I don’t think I’d ever even need a car if I were to ever live there. But we can’t even get our government to provide us with universal healthcare. How are we going to see an actual usable and respectful public transit system? But back to seeing taxes work for THEM, if you’ve got crappy infrastructure where you live, you want to see your tax dollars pay to improve it, not pay for a project you personally have no need for. …you know, like dog parks. If you’re not a dog owner, your own money is being wasted picking up dog crap because someone you don’t even know refuses to do it themself.

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@UmmYeahOk There’s a huge number of flights each day between Dallas and Houston. Thousands go back and forth. It’s too far to drive to go to a meeting and come back the same day. I think you must be from the northeast or something. You don’t seem to grasp the reality of Texas.

[@UmmYeahOk]

@@nunyabidness3075I was born and raise in Dallas. Six generation. …I was pointing out WHY there would be people against it. THEY aren’t traveling to/from Houston. They don’t think there will ever be a time. They don’t understand why their tax dollars should pay to make someone else’s lives slightly more convenient, as opposed to them.

[@FrancoAir]

We need high speed rail now!

[@cameraman655]

Why….?

[@noahg4369]

@@cameraman655 you want less traffic yeah?

[@MichaelBridges-o2g]

Rick Perry promised high speed rail within a few years, and that was 20 years ago.

[@colormedubious4747]

The TTC was a scam to build tollways. If the rail portion of the proposal had been at all serious, it would have had the capacity of a 72-lane freeway and they wouldn't have needed the toll roads.

[@nutriapeluda]

It's wild that Rick Perry seems like a decent leader compared to the current state of affairs 😮‍💨

[@MrNeilTV]

Do we need it? ABSOLUTELY. Will it happen? No.

[@RailMan102_Productions]

It’s because of the political leaders that are constantly trying to sabotage it

[@sawmaster6095]

Fifty years ago, the United States put a man on the moon-a defining moment that showcased the unparalleled ingenuity and determination of this great nation. Today, we face another opportunity to lead the world: implementing high-speed rail with the Texas Central project. As someone who has experienced the incredible N700S Shinkansen in Japan, I know firsthand how transformative this technology can be. It's time for America to reclaim its position as a global trailblazer. We cannot allow the greed of special interest groups to hold us back from what is undeniably a patriotic pursuit. High-speed rail isn’t just about transportation-it’s about strengthening our economy, connecting our communities, and ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for generations of Americans. This is the kind of progress that defines who we are as a nation. To implement Texas Central is to believe in the greatness of the USA. It’s to honor our legacy of innovation and to prove that when Americans set their minds to something, we can accomplish anything. Let’s do this-not just for ourselves, but for the country we love. This is the United States of America, and we make things happen!

[@anhtdang92]

It’s obvious who’s against high speed rails. Automakers and airlines. That’s why you see roads and airport construction. Some politicians are being bought out

[@KyrilPG]

No need for trailblazing, plus it will be very difficult to catch up with China, France, Japan or Spain on HSR. Japan and France have perfected HSR technology and defined the standards. The worst thing would be to try reinventing the wheel just to make a statement and claim some leadership position that will do nothing for the public. The driving force should simply be to give Americans proper great high-speed rail infrastructure from the 21st century. The idea of the public good should be enough. The French broke several speed records but what truly matters is that they've built a high-speed rail network that's actually tremendously useful, having both regular and low-cost trains, and carrying roughly 150 million passengers yearly.

[@sawmaster6095]

@@KyrilPG You have a great point, and I should clarify what I meant by "trailblazing." I wasn’t suggesting we should reinvent the wheel-that would be absurd. As an engineer, I completely agree that the N700S Shinkansen is a marvel of design, and I can’t imagine a better system for high-speed rail. It’s efficient, reliable, and scalable, without relying on rare earth metals like maglev systems do. By trailblazing, I meant leading the way in implementing this proven technology on a large scale across the United States. Adopting and expanding a perfected system like the Shinkansen here would be transformative, not just for transportation, but for the economy, the environment, and the quality of life for millions of Americans. In that sense, I believe we can still trailblaze-not by inventing something new, but by realizing the full potential of what’s already been achieved and adapting it to meet the unique needs of our country.

[@KyrilPG]

@@sawmaster6095 Though for the US, it would be better to follow the European model for the lines and rolling stock. That's what was used in South Korea for both and in Taiwan for the infrastructure. (HSR infrastructure in both South Korea and Taiwan is based on the TGV network, and Taiwan runs Shinkansen derived trains on it). From the signaling systems to power and various standards, European systems are more interoperable and automated. A good chunk of what makes the Shinkansen is the strict, almost military like Japanese work practices, etc. Remove this cultural specificity from the equation, and I'm not sure that it would still run like clockwork. Systems like ERTMS and ETCS are probably going to be used on California HSR and Brightline West and become the de facto standard for HSR in the US, too. The European "ecosystem" for high-speed rail is more compatible with American cultural habits, work practices, and funding. Almost all high-speed rail networks outside of Japan are mostly derived from the European model. The US should go for the most standardized choice, with more manufacturers and a work culture that's much closer.

[@sawmaster6095]

@@KyrilPG That is an interesting perspective, but now I actually have to disagree. For starters, the US does not even have a high speed rail network requiring compatibility. A self-contained system like the Shinkansen offers a proven backbone to build upon, with future expansions allowing for interoperability as needed. Criticism suggesting that the Shinkansen's success depends on Japanese work culture overlooks its adaptability, as demonstrated by Taiwan's thriving Shinkansen-derived trains you mentioned. Its unmatched safety record, with zero passenger fatalities since 1964, is a testament to its robust design, including earthquake-resistant features and advanced braking systems. The N700S takes this further with innovative battery-powered self-propulsion for emergencies. These technological advancements are not dependent on Japanese cultural work practices but are inherent to the system's design and automation, making it transferable to other environments. That being said, adopting either technology to build our own high-speed rail system would be a tremendous step forward for our nation. Regardless of the technology chosen, it would represent the best possible move for us as Americans, proving to the world that we are capable of adopting and implementing technological successes right here- perhaps even better. For the sake of our country’s progress and pride, this is something that must happen. That said, if I had the choice, the N700S would be my pick any day-it’s a symbol of excellence and precisely what we need to set the standard for American high-speed rail.

[@whiteknightcat]

The oil and airline industries will see the state never funds such projects. At the federal level, they'll lobby against such projects there as well, plus you have the incoming regime that already intends to cut transportation funding. Recall that Biden was a big fan of Amtrak and passenger rail in general, so just as Trump did in his first term, he will attempt to undo everything his predecessor did just out of spite and malice, even if it means leaving tens of thousands of people without a needed service.

[@tann_man]

Idk Trump's ego could lead him to wanting to build a big legacy project. I can see it now: "Trump train project employs 50,000 heritage Americans"

[@ApatheticNonbuynary]

​@@tann_manyeah. People who wants the HSR should taunt the orange man and Texas governor into do it like, "let's imagine, Texas get to beat Newsom and California by being the first to build a true High-speed Rail system".

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@ApatheticNonbuynaryNot a bad idea. I like it. Of course, it’s not hateful, so it won’t get reported in the press.

[@MarioYoshi4723]

It baffles me how conservatives supposedly “encourage private investment”, yet they throw a fit with anything involving two parallel rails; even if it’s private like with Texas Central.

[@cameraman655]

I am a Conservative and I encourage HSR, if the demand is there and then let the private sector feed that demand, keep my taxes out.

[@elisuarez88]

@@cameraman655ahh yes, because taxes should only be for things that you use and nothing else. Got it.

[@CasualScrub]

​@@cameraman655this isn't really how any of the infrastructure funding works in the US. When new airports are built they seek state and federal funding, they don't get funded exclusively by the private airlines. When we build sports stadiums those too are subsidized by tax dollars. For something as massively beneficial as high speed rail, we should help fund it with tax dollars too in my opinion. That's what's happening in the case of brightline west.

[@hinckleybuzzard12]

@@elisuarez88 Yes, because liberals are so good at spending other people’s money, and so eager to do it, whether the other people agree or not.

[@joeshmooo5327]

For a state as large as Texas you would think high speed rail would be a no brainer. Of course because it is Texas and rarely do they do anything that makes sense its anybody's guess how this will turn out.

[@TheAdrianFlo]

Never gonna happen with conservative state and federal governments. They hate funding anything beneficial. The're defunding everything

[@tann_man]

I'm fine with defunding everything. TxDot spends tens of billions on freeways every year just don't make it illegal and burdensome for private orgs to provide what people want.

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

The new regime in Jan ,all money go to the 1% ... Nothing for the worker class....

[@juliustheillustrious7727]

@@tann_man You're fine with the slow degradation of the infrastructure around you, is what you're saying.

[@tann_man]

@@juliustheillustrious7727 no its not. infrastructure can be funded voluntarily

[@juliustheillustrious7727]

@@tann_man Voluntary? What kind of pipe dream is that? If we waited on everybody's shoddy little opinion on what sort of infrastructural investement our country should make, we'd get nothing done.

[@magaareinbredhillbillies]

i guess republican get more under table money to widen roads. Soon texas will be one road.

[@amars7941]

Yes, because the 1000 people who move to Texas daily, leave their cars at the border. lulz.

[@SkateEvan1]

Blows my mind how unwilling people are to implement proven methods of traffic decongestion while simultaneously claiming being in traffic is the worst part of their life.

[@batliff]

One more lane bro...

[@123vrao]

To make railway commuting useful in Texas, need to have a triangular system which is connecting, Dallas to San-Antonio via Austin, San-Antonio to Houston and from Houston to Dallas. I would suggest to have starting point say DFW airport passing through near downtown Dallas, through Waco, Temple, Austin, San Macros and finally to San Antonio. Similarly, in Houston, need to pass through the international airport, pass through College Station to Dallas. Don't need to create a huge budget project. Even semi-high speed railway system that can reach say 150+ mph can become competitive to road transportation. Make sure to have ticket prices cost half the price of air travel, offer free wi-fi, enough space in each train car to have storage space to keep luggage and a snack/coffee bar train car, Also, need to provide 2-3 min stops at key towns and cities along the route. For instance, along the Dallas to San-Antonio route, there is need to have stops at Waxahachie, Waco, Temple, Round Rock, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels. Electric powered semi-high speed train can pick up speed quickly unlike diesel engines and those short stops should not impact overall travel time. Finally, number of trains running daily is another important consideration. Need to have at least 4 daily up and 4 down services between end points. Can increase this frequency depending upon response from the public. Even a 6 passenger train car train set with comfortable reclining seats (wider and better than economy air travel seats) and toilets in train car is sufficient to start with.

[@colormedubious4747]

"Diesel" locomotives ARE electrically powered. They're diesel-electric vehicles and accelerate faster than you think when pulling only passenger coaches. The engine doesn't drive the train directly, it generates electricity. The driving wheels are powered by electric motors. This provides an upgrade path to dual-mode locos that can operate under catenary on electrified routes and also use non-electrified routes.

[@jacobkrause4094]

Why can't all of Texas largest cities get it make the hub in Austin.

[@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle]

Those that are against high speed rail have either never used it, own land that would be jeopardized by construction, or are financially cautious.

[@EmmanuelGoldstein3]

I'm a Texas Republican. If done properly, high speed rail could work quite well in Texas, but it's difficult politically to do it properly. The problem is that there's immense political pressure to make many stops along the way, in order to make it accessible to more people. This results in nonsensical routes and long travel times. Witness the debacle in California. The only thing I see making sense for Texas would be a triangle between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, with a stop in Austin. I think the main problem that rail proponents have is that they view rail as an alternative to automobiles, whereas it's only going to work as an alternative to air travel. But there are still relatively few situations in which it will be viable. It only works for medium-distance hops between large cities.

[@MrJohndoe845]

what’s the debacle in California?

[@nickrodriguez8738]

Look at the northeast. They got tons of trains, and some high speed rail lines

[@mrxman581]

You obviously have never ridden in an HSR train. All throughout Europe and Asia, there are HSR lines that have stops in smaller cities. One of the BENEFITS of the CAHSR is that it will serve smaller cities in the Central Valley, better connecting them to the rest of the state. Historically, they get continually overlooked. And having stops in between the two major city centers doesn't mean you can't have non-stop serve between them. The CAHSR is being designed to have pass through tracks at the stations, which means you'll have some trains that will go directly from SF to LA without stopping. Most HSR lines are built that way around the world. California will have the preeminent HSR line in all the Americas when it opens the first 171 mile section in 2030.

[@tann_man]

Stage 1 - Houston, college station, Waco, Arlington Stage 2 - Waco, Temple, round rock, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, San Antonio Stage 3- Austin, college station This saves on lines built and hits all the major cities in the triangle. You can run some trains to stop at all the cities for commuting and you can run a few express routes that have no or just 1 intermediary stops.

[@mariusfacktor3597]

The reason the California HSR alignment goes through the Central Valley cities is because the federal grant they got was intended to help disadvantaged communities, which the Central Valley cities are. It will still be the fastest way to get up the state, so it's not so bad. But it wasn't local politicians wanting more stops, it was the federal government. I don't think it will be an issue in Texas. What is between Dallas and Houston? College Station maybe? One stop is fine. Between SA and Dallas definitely stop in Austin. Another stop in Waco wouldn't be so bad either. Between SA and Houston? Not much. Maybe stop once in the middle for all those little cities collectively, but maybe not.

[@infini.tesimo]

Eventually it'll happen, as to when it'll happen, my guess is as good as the next guy. Probably when I die of old age they will finally stop squabbling and get to work on the damn thing.

[@tann_man]

Once car brained boomers leave this earth they scorched

[@oldbrokenhands]

Sigh, what could've been.

[@raysmith2477]

The budget surplus can pay for it or the High A”” property taxes we pay as citizens!💪🏾👊🏾

[@austins7321]

One of the issues is figuring out where the rail will be built since it can cross through private property. Nobody who owns the land that the rail would be built over wants it to happen. Those people have no use for the rail and they don't want to move. This would only benefit city dwellers who already own cars and would have to drive to the rail station and pay for parking which would make many people rather drive to the city. I don't know one person who has to drive to another city on a regular basis or enough to warrant a rail system.

[@TinLeadHammer]

Private ownership of land is a bad concept. Anyway, eminent domain laws can be used.

[@james4thedoctor482]

We know very different people

[@Ottman123YT]

Please give it to us!

[@rickace132]

Now that robotaxis are a thing(well, almost), these high speed trains are becoming more practical. When you get to your destination on one of these trains, you can hop onto a robotaxis to get to your final destination.

[@colormedubious4747]

Or, in Houston and Dallas, you can use the local light rail system.

[@andrewthacker114]

Typical American politics, nothing gets done .

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

Only if it benifits the rich..

[@TheRealmfc90125]

I have no idea why republicans think that HSR is a bad idea but makes the state more independent which is a pillar of why Texas was formed in the first place. HSR is here and Brightline along with CalHSR are gonna change the way people think. Texas needs to lead on this.

[@caddobsa]

More of an imminent domain issue. Taking land from land holders from rural areas vs Metropolitan desires. Many rail lines in Texas should stay along intrastate highways as the typically run at this time.

[@lochinvar50]

Before getting too excited with Texas HSR, scrutinize first the first ever US HSR in California. It's been bogged down with problems and might not even fulfill its desired finish. Without a thorough study, California announced the project would cost $33 billion. It's now $133 billion and it the project will only be for the Central Valley. From the Valley to LA in the south and SF in the north is still up in the air.

[@KreweOfBridge]

Because, it could possibly make sense?!

[@Shawn_M]

Texas is the perfect state for high speed rail. Every big city is like 3 hours away from the others. Rail would shrink that to an hour. What do repubs have against convenience?

[@mattkennedy6115]

It’s pushback from property owners and people who won’t use it (which is like 90 percent of the state)

[@fatviscount6562]

Your supposition is not only wildly optimistic, but neglects that, without local transit, you still need a car to get to the station, then another car to get to your destination. This raises your trip cost and really does not save you time door-to-door.

[@writtwoodson6879]

What does high speed rail mean in America? What does privately owned railway mean in America? The NEC/Acela is not high-speed rail by international standards. It goes past Norwalk CT at 60 mph. But it is a very popular service. Many people say that Brightline Florida is high speed rail. It goes through South Florida at 79 mph max. Brightline FL 's owner's owner has changed and the ownership is complex but Brightline FL got off of the ground because it uses Florida East Coast Railway ROW and also a state road ROW into Orlando. This is the opposite of what CAHSR is doing. Brightline West is using the ROW of an Interstate highway. The Shinkansen has its own ROW and runs partly. elevated. The original Shinkansen was 100% over budget. We will have to wait and see if either Brightline project becomes profitable or whether CAHSR ever gets built out of the Central Valley. Brightline FL financing is largely a federal loan. Brightline West got a $3.5B loan and a $3B grant from the Feds. Privately owned? Sure thing. Trump will kick Amtrak out of the Texas deal because he is Trump. Will high-speed rail come to Texas? I don't know. But I know that CAHSR was given a greenlight 14 yrs. ago and not one piece of rail has been laid down. I read that Brightline FL is losing tons of money. I know that the sensible way to do passenger rail is to follow what Virginia and North Carolina are doing. Love your Class I freight railway. Buy ROW from them, but keep them completely engaged, grade separate as much as possible, electrified the passenger rail and be happy with 125-150 mph. The Shinkansen started at 130 mph many years ago and was wildly popular. Texas and Japan have very little in common. Texas and China have very little in common.

[@yomi3099]

I believe we texans need transportation like this, but very hesitant on who owns it like mentioned. Firstly no foreign entities like they do with tolls. No company like black rock or vanguard, they already destroyed the housing market. Also the land they mentioned is tough since so many people are getting land taken from them by state already. Maybe rent out land for these reasons.

[@KingLarbear]

We need El Paso to DFW Arlington

[@jaioxung]

I'll be dead before this is ever made a reality. 🙁

[@gheath23]

Can we get Elon run it so we don’t get screwed

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

Way behind Europe,Japan and China and cheaper public owned.

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

And passenger trains 1st and freight last. Not like in the USA..

[@colormedubious4747]

@@Michaelcj-m2d The freight railroads own most of the track. Out of about 130,000 miles of rail, Amtrak owns less than 900 miles.

[@colormedubious4747]

Some factors to consider: 1) The Texas Triangle route from the 1993 Texas TGV / Texas FasTrack competition makes the most sense. That plan imploded when the state granted the right to build it to the bidder that LIED about not needing state underwriting, so a lot of legislators and citizens have their doubts about the Texas Central and other private proposals. 2) Amtrak is who KILLED the Dallas -to-Houston leg of the Texas Eagle in the early 90s. Some people have justifiable trust issues regarding their involvement. 3) Texas Central's planned station locations for Houston and the Brazos Valley are so outrageously STUPID that one could legitimately wonder if they WANT their choo-choo to fail. 4) Before discussing building new-terrain high-speed rail, we should be implementing greater frequency of our existing conventional passenger rail service. One train per day through so many of America's largest cities is PATHETIC. A few more passing sidings on existing rail routes to better coordinate mixed freight and passenger traffic (and building sidings to move passenger station platforms offline to enable express service) would be a far more cost-effective investment than taking private lands to build a brand-new system. Upgrade, people, upgrade what we have!

[@KyrilPG]

Conventional rail ridership is not correlated to HSR ridership. HSR creates its own demand. So, improving conventional rail would be like throwing public funds out the window. Even with 15 trains per day in both directions, conventional rail will never have HSR ridership because the majority of HSR passengers would either fly, drive, or not travel at all without the high-speed. What should be built is good public transit in the cities served by HSR, but that's not intercity conventional rail.

[@colormedubious4747]

@@KyrilPG I never said it was correlated. I simply suggested an alternative that could yield results within a few years as opposed to a few decades -- with the added benefit of NOT creating a century's worth of lawsuits due to eminent domain. Drawing lines on a map is clean and cheap but actually BUILDING new-terrain transportation routes is messy and expensive. The USA has nearly 130,000 miles of intercity rail right NOW but barely 21,000 miles of it supports passenger service. Let's leverage more of it! We can upgrade it over time.

[@Edward-t6s1o]

I really appreciate your efforts! Could you help me with something unrelated: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?

[@MadPutz]

High speed rail between the cities and self-driving cars inside the cities will be the future of transit in Texas.

[@fatviscount6562]

If Texas wants HSR, they first need to build viable transit networks in the big metros. Every HSR System in the world connects cities with dense transit networks and high ridership. Texas has none. zero. HSR can get you fast station-to-station, but that means nothing when you have to drive an hour to get to the station, then an hour from the station to your destination. In Texas, HSR won’t save your journey time door-to-door.

[@colormedubious4747]

ZERO? You need to get out more! DFW has the second longest light rail system in North America, two streetcar lines, and three commuter rail systems. Houston has several light rail lines. Austin has a commuter rail line and another in the works, with at least two light rail lines being planned. None of these have been a secret.

[@garygeorge9648]

How does that railway benefit all of west Texas? Oh I know anything west of the I35 corridor doesn't count except for the money coming from it.

[@mrjack8849]

I would prefer to see a traditional passenger train system first to see what the usage would be. Use existing lines and serve more cities without having to imminent domain many landowners.

[@1Reddd]

You’re missing the whole point of high speed rail. Nobody is going to ride a normal passenger train on that route, it would take too long.

[@TheBitterSarcasmOfMs.Anthropy]

I lived 4 years in Japan and rode the Shinkansen dozens of times. The Shinkansen will never happen here. You need very dedicated people to run the Shinkansen, and I am talking Japanese level attention to detail and duty. Americans simply are not up to the task. Furthermore, who is going to build it after Trump deports all the illegals who actually work? Oh and to run high speed rail, you need PERFECTION in construction and maintenance. That won't happen here - given America's horrid track record in the railway industry (pun intended)

[@Ultrajamz]

Americans aren’t up to it but illegals are? Lol

[@learningvideosbynikhil8308]

I mean the Netherlands and Germany don’t have the Shinkansen

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

In the USA they can fix the potholes in the roads 😂

[@james4thedoctor482]

Station in College Station please 🚉

[@colormedubious4747]

That IS the best place for the Brazos Valley station, not out in the middle of nowhere that Texas Central proposes.

[@davidgarcia4405]

maybe in a 100 years

[@anhtdang92]

We need Elon to step in here

[@carychen9492]

It won’t happen in within 20 years

[@jasong3972]

This is a waste of time and money. Imagine taking a train into a Texas city. It's 101°F and then you still have to walk another mile to reach your destination. Focus on transport within the cities first.

[@OwenGibson-yo2le]

but that's up to individual cities to work on improving their transportation infrastructure.

[@erinsmart8422]

LIES!!!

[@SaudadeSunday]

The point of a train like this is to have two stops, one at either end. You don’t add stops along the way. Dallas-Houston and Dallas-Austin make sense. Anything else does not.

[@Ultrajamz]

There needs to be the ability to rent a car easily on the ends or else its dead in the water for most

[@ERDoctorZ]

And center of each city, not as far away as the airports always are located.

[@Chario_]

One of the biggest advantages of trains is how easy it is to add intermediate stops along the route - every train in history has done that. Just like how the Shinkansen stops at Kyoto and Nagoya between Tokyo and Osaka, you'd be an idiot to have a train from Dallas to San Antonio skip Waco and Austin

[@mrxman581]

You obviously have never ridden in an HSR train. All throughout Europe and Asia, there are HSR lines that have stops in smaller cities. One of the BENEFITS of the CAHSR is that it will serve smaller cities in the Central Valley, better connecting them to the rest of the state. Historically, they get continually overlooked. And having stops in between the two major city centers doesn't mean you can't have non-stop service between them. The CAHSR is being designed to have pass through tracks at the stations, which means you'll have some trains that will go directly from SF to LA without stopping. Most HSR lines are built that way around the world. California will have the preeminent HSR line in all the Americas when it opens the first 171 mile section in 2030.

[@colormedubious4747]

You build station platforms offline (on sidings) so the little towns can be served by local trains and bypassed by express trains. Easy-peasy.

[@tootime576]

I don't know why everyone is so obsessed with high speeed rail right now. We don't need high speed rail. We need local rail and city metrorail. Then after that, maybe regular speed intercity rail (~100 mph). Only after all that does it make sense to talk about high speed rail. Also, private companies shouldn't be allowed to use eminent domain to build railroads.

[@KyrilPG]

It should be both rapid transit in cities and intercity HSR. But no conventional intercity rail as it won't be useful. HSR creates its own demand, it worked like that pretty much everywhere it has been built. Traveling 360 or 380 miles in just 2 hours with great comfort and affordable prices attracts passengers like a magnet. HSR ridership is not correlated to conventional rail ridership, but rather to the number of flights and cars between cities. So building conventional intercity rail would be the sure way to throw public funds out the window. A very very large portion of HSR passengers would either fly, drive, or not travel at all without the high speed. In France, Italy, or Spain, it replaced almost all air travel on the domestic routes served by HSR. In the Texas triangle HSR would be faster and incomparably more comfortable than flying when you account for tedious airport process. Dallas - Houston could be run in just 1h15 or 1h30 with trains departing every 15 minutes, Houston - Austin in just 1 hour, and Dallas - San Antonio in 1h30 to 2 hours, depending on the route. That's millions of cars off the roads, and thousands of planes off the sky every year... The infrastructure should be public, and train companies could be private, like they do in Europe.

[@josephlyons7078]

A boondoggle for you, and a boondoggle for you, and a boondoggle for you…. These projects always run crazy deficits and just act as vehicles to move money from tax payers to the heavy hand of government.

[@MarioYoshi4723]

Hey wise guy, it’s a PRIVATE COMPANY. You know, the things you conservatives ENCOURAGE? Brightline proves rail can still work here. But noooooo, anything with two parallel rails is a “boondoggle” apparently.

[@cameraman655]

I am a 5th-gen Texan, I have been hearing about this “pipe dream” since the late 70s and still it has has not made of the off-the-boards or the feeble brains of politicians and bureaucrats. I have mixed feelings about this. No doubt that some landowners will NOT sell parcels of the land for this project, so what happens next, “Eminent Domain”? Southwest was so worried about HSR, that they took the state to court and won back in the 80s. I believe that the only state that has launched a functioning HSR operation is Florida, California’s system is still not operational, though it is under construction on certain routes. I want the government out of it, and let the private sector build if there is a need, though I don't believe that there is.

[@KyrilPG]

Brightline in Florida isn't high-speed, it's higher speed at best on the newer parts of the route. There isn't any true high-speed rail yet in the US, there's only Acela in the Northeast corridor that uses heavily modified HSR rolling stock on conventional rails. It very shortly peaks at about 150 mph but the average speed along the route is pretty low, around 60 or 70. True high-speed is like 200 mph for 90% of the route on dedicated tracks, with average speeds from station to station of 170 or 180 mph. What works best is to have public infrastructure with either public, private, or both companies running trains. That's what they do in Japan, France, Spain, Italy... Being able to travel between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin in 1 to 2 hours with great comfort is a game changer. HSR has created its own demand everywhere it has been built (true HSR). It has even mostly replaced air travel on HSR city pairs and removed dozens of thousand of cars from the roads. True HSR is not just faster conventional rail.

[@jeffburger786]

Vote No its like a Toll Road they will say when its paid of it will be free....like Beltway 8 in Houston 30 billion city bond ...not free as of yet but has been paid in full for YEARS

[@portcybertryx222]

Dude rail is cheaper to build than same capacity freeways. And yes you will have to pay the rail ticket. Whats wrong with having an alternative. No one is gonna tax you for that

[@Jonathan-un7uq]

That’s an ignorant comment

[@jeffburger786]

@@Jonathan-un7uq it’s the truth

[@mrxman581]

​@@jeffburger786The comparison is not applicable.

[@Brucev7]

More Waste. Just like Project Con-nect, Cap & Switch. The Mayors & CC Spend like drunken sailors.

[@jbudlo2]

Yeah, trains are communist. Not American.

[@venustianozaragoza9436]

With all your respect folks, but that train never going to happen, unfortunately we are light years if luckily happens, too much involved and nobody is interested, and by the time gets built (if happens), we gonna have flying cars like the ones on the Jetsons.

[@MrNeilTV]

The only way this will happen is if Elon musk takes over.

[@jbudlo2]

The same Elon who said HSR is bad and wants eveyone to drive a Tesla?

[@mrxman581]

What?! That's ridiculous. He's the last person fit to do this.

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

😂😂 what a 🤡🤡

[@Michaelcj-m2d]

Musk Fanboys 😂😂 cyber truck drivers..

[@badmonkey6051]

BOON DOGGLE!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!

[@jbudlo2]

Like highway subsidies?

[@tann_man]

You know the state spends tens of billions every year on freeways right?

[@AMFER7875]

Yeah ,that's never going to happen, they cant keep the power grid going 😂

[@BlueHillCountry]

Houston to Monterrey, Mexico. through Victoria, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo on to Monterrey, Mexico. That's a real route, ok...

[@infini.tesimo]

I don't think they're going to ever go that far especially in Mexico. If anything, they will be building lines between the tri-cities as that makes the most economical sense of who would benefit the most from it.

[@Thr33-Quarters]

Mexico? Why Mexico lol.. That definitely isn't happening

[@JoseDiaz-tf2ql]

@@Thr33-Quarters México is very receptive to this, with talks of maybe expanding their high speed rail that is on the southern part of the country all the way to the border.

[@linuxsisschannel8602]

Mexico is building a line from Saltillo through Monterrey to Laredo. The speed will be between 160 to 200.The idea is to connect Mexico city to Laredo. US can join and build from Laredo to San Antonio

[@linuxsisschannel8602]

​@Thr33-Quarters The idea of a high-speed train from Monterrey to San antonio has been since 2009. This is the best time to connect the cities