[rumanator]

> How fast is this train going?

Typically, the commercial speed of high-speed trains is about 300-350km/h.

> And you still need to get to/from the station.

Train stations tend to be located in the city center, not 50km away.

> At 200mph it'll also be a 3-4 hour ordeal at least, and more if there are stops in the middle.

Madrid-Barcelona takes less than 3 hours, and starts/ends near the city center (check Atocha and Barcelona Santa).

Unlike airplanes, the bulk of the trip is spent sitting comfortably in your cozy chair with plenty of leg room, internet access, electric outlets, no noise or pressure fluctuation, and a nice landscape to enjoy.

[manigandham]

This thread has gone off the rails. The point isn't that trains are more comfortable than planes. That's obvious. It's that a train is not currently viable compared to the existing airline routes.

The US and California are not spending > $100B to build this. Even with all that comfort, people want cheap and fast. Talking more about how nice trains are makes no difference to actually getting one built unless you have a plan on how to acquire all the money, real estate and political will to get it done.