[weberc2]

I get that it's moving fast, but what's the specific threat model? Terrorists hijack the train and somehow drive it off the tracks? Presumably it's easy enough to secure the "cockpit". They could blow it up, but is that dramatically worse than blowing up a train moving 50 mph (genuine question, I'm not sure about the physics)? Especially as these trains don't carry fuel, I can't imagine a tragedy on the scale of 9/11.

[microcolonel]

> But is that dramatically worse than blowing up a train moving 50 mph

Yes, it is extremely bad when 60-100 ton railcars are being thrown around like toys, at nearly the speed (about 30m/s slower than most .45 ACP) some handguns fire bullets.

[weberc2]

I get that, but it seems strictly better than, for example, blowing up a trail full of oil cars.

[microcolonel]

If the goalposts move as fast as these trains are marketed to move, I'm sure we could find all sorts of things worse than the already terrible tragedy of a deliberate derailment, explosion, or sabotage of a high speed train.

[weberc2]

The goalposts didn't move, you were just reminded that conventional trains frequently carry explosive freight.