Congress Seeks Funding for High-Speed Rail Service From D.C. to N.Y.C. and FLA.

[vicupstate]

Great article. Real shows the difference in attitude and priorities between the incoming and outgoing administrations.  Yet another reason to party on 1/20.

[JeffreyS]

I agree with the sentiments that expanded Amtrak service and commuter rail would serve this state better than high speed rail. However if Congress wants to put some high speed rail here I wouldn't say no. An east coast high speed rail line would certainly be a boon for Jax.  Miami, Savanna and Hilton Head would be great HSR trips.  A marquee rail service would also make it harder for local officials to keep their heads in the sand.

[Ocklawaha]

Your right Jeffery, IF they send it our way, we should welcome it AND become the hub for it.

My biggest problem with the concept is the years and years, of no rail passenger service that this country has suffered through. I don't see High Speed Rail as a magic bullet. It is not going to break through two generations of auto-flyers and suddenly produce train riders.

Looking at history, in Japan, High Speed Rail was the brain child of a long time (WWII) retired Japanese railroader. It wouldn't have happened at all if about 50% of the entire starter system wouldn't have had American components. But Japan had something we just refuse to do, it had a working rail passenger network. In fact the network was so overburdened, that "PACKERS" had to push the passengers into the doors. In fact this older network is still around and they have left us in the dust there too. But when passenger loads became critical they went to high speed trains, to avoid the damage freight does to track, and to split the system from locals, medium distance trains and crossings.

What's our national budget? Count the crossings from Miami Amtrak Station to West Palm Beach, ha! There goes the money...

It's also NOT about density,that argument crumbles when the high speed trains of France, Spain and Italy are considered. Hell's bells, much of France looks more like rural Ohio then it does Jacksonville. In fact hundreds and hundreds of miles connecting not much more then mere villages. The French system works because they never surrendered their trains. Again, trains we gave them at the end of the war.

Anyone that doubts these facts, drop me a PM, I have the order list of Baldwin Diesel Locomotives sent to Europe to rebuild the railroads! Now the tables have turned, and it's time to pay the price for stupid!



Yet I'm sick of everyone saying how behind we are in railroad tech, THAT isn't true either - we just refuse to fund it. BTW anyone seen the new Diesels for the Chinese National Railways? GENERAL ELECTRICS!

OCKLAWAHA