[pm90]

The real solution should be a massive intercity bullet train program that connects major transit hubs, like the interstate highway buildout. The massive infrastructure spend would kickstart the US economy and provide thousands of jobs.

[Brendinooo]

Bullet trains would be good in tighter networks of cities. Southern Cal, Acela corridor.

But I'm just not sure the demand would be there for longer distances unless it's so cheap that it's worth the extra time.

Like what's China to Kunmung, a 6 hour flight vs a 12 hour train, at a comparable cost?

[foolfoolz]

even SF to LA would have trouble with a high speed rail because the price would likely be the same as a flight

[tecleandor]

In Spain, a similar length high speed train route would be Madrid-Barcelona, that's 400miles and takes 2h 30min.

If you offer me the same price for flying than for taking the high speed train, I'll take the train every time.

In practice it'll take less travel time, no security lines or theater (no problem bringing your water bottle or whatever), you can bring more luggage, you can stand up/walk/visit the bar during the trip, you go from city center to city center so you don't have to spend an extra in taxis... I just arrive there 20-30 minutes before the train leaves and that's all.

[ehremington]

there will be no theater until a terrorist attacks it and then it will be exactly the same

[tecleandor]

We've had terrorists attacks on trains around here, and the only theater we have is a super quick xray scan of our baggage.

[pahkah]

Oh I don't know — I travel the Boston-DC route a lot and fly only because it's significantly cheaper than taking the train. If prices were comparable I would take the train even without it being "high speed", I think there's a market for high speed rail if the prices were as low as flights!

[999900000999]

Sounds good if you live on the East Coast.

Even with Japanese level high speed rail NYC to LA still takes much much longer than flying.

You need to buy land. Disrupt wildlife, and various ecosystems.

The government should of bailed out Spirit instead. They served a public good.

Allowing lower to middle income people to travel helps everyone.

[nerdsniper]

Trains have been proven to be able to go at least 375mph [0]. That would make NYC->SF take 6.9 hours to travel the 4162 km. The current average flight time from NYC to SF is 6.7 hours.

So, it's at least technically possible.

China is doing R&D on a partial-vacuum train (basically Musk's hyperloop thing) with a target of 1,243 mph[1]. That's probably a pipe dream, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

> The government should of [sic] bailed out Spirit instead.

I'd be okay with this if all the taxpayers were granted equal shares that their collective money could have purchased at an imputed no-bailout price.

0: L0 Series SCMaglev

1: T-Flight train

[haldujai]

> The current average flight time from NYC to SF is 6.7 hours.

What's your source for this? I take this flight a lot and I find it hard to believe it's more than 5.5-5.75 on average. Looking at the last few weeks for one of them[0] supports my experience.

Maybe your number has TSA/airport time included.

[0] https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/ua1777

[dml2135]

It's probably scheduled times. I find that time in the air ends up being about an hour less than the time on the ticket.

[jodrellblank]

> "China is doing R&D on a partial-vacuum train (basically Musk's hyperloop thing) with a target of 1,243 mph"

When the vacuum fails - mechanical failure, human error, natural disaster, attack - air is going to rush into the tube. The speed of sound is how fast air molecules move, so train doing 1243mph might hit into a wall of air coming the other way at 767mph for a 2000mph collision. Don't think "wind isn't that fast", think vacuum implosion[1][2]. The weight of 60+ miles of atmosphere pushing down trying to force air into the tunnel. The principle that moves atmospheric steam engines. The train will then be blown backwards into the train coming behind it for another 1000mph+ collision.

This will be the Hindenburg of the Hyperloop.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j-s5Ut5cm50

[2] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/if9xxrRouRY

[999900000999]

That's straight math. Not assuming any stops or slow downs.

According to Gemini this hypothetical train would take about 18 hours.

It would also cost hundreds of billions of dollars and a decade to build.

Doesn't do much for seeing Uncle John next Tuesday.

I like trains. I like them a lot. But they don't work over long distances. Particular when you have dozens of state and city jurisdictions to cross.

Each of them get a vote.

Honestly I'd be happy just to have quality HSR on the East Coast. Boston to Richmond takes like 12 hours right now.

Maybe the West Coast could get a Seattle to San Diego route.

[goda90]

18 hours with seats comfortable enough to sleep in, easy to get up and move around to lounge cars, wifi, and plenty of pretty views? Add some showers onboard and you're totally set. I think there are plenty of people who would take that over flying. A direct flight from NYC to San Francisco is almost 7 hours, not counting the wildly variable time needed to get to the airport and make it to your gate, and then you're still facing delays and prolonged discomfort.

[pm90]

Yes, or trains with comfortable sleeper coaches. This is how a lot of intercity rail works in India. I took the Delhi-Bombay Rajdhani express all the time when I was younger; would catch the train in the evening, tasty dinner and breakfast provided on train. The views were breathtaking; its the first time the vastness of India became so clear to me (and how many people were still engaged in farming). It would be so nice to have that in the US.

[testing22321]

> It would also cost hundreds of billions of dollars and a decade to build. Doesn't do much for seeing Uncle John next Tuesday.

You just described the building of the interstate highway system, but I doubt there’s a person alive who would say it wasn’t worthwhile.

I fear Americans are simple to selfish to have any desire to do time consuming expensive things that will improve their country long term. They just want benefits for themselves , now.

[pm90]

I think Americans aren’t as selfish as most people believe; it’s just that they don’t know any better. Education and awareness is key to change that.

[bdangubic]

I don't think it is neither education nor awareness, our core problem and what is an eventual doom of this country lies in the fact that with the two political parties that we have and extremely non-functional government we are no longer capable of doing long-term things. whatever party X tries to do, they get a few years and then when party Y takes over their first order of business is to dismantle everything that party X did (tried to do) in the previous two years. while china can create "10-year plan" the america is no longer capable of creating any such thing and this is destroying the country, little by little...

[999900000999]

I would like to fix our health care system first.

Meanwhile, the government could announce a bailout of Spirit tonight.

Wouldn't take nearly as much effort.

[testing22321]

> I would like to fix our health care system first

Good ol Zoidberg once again says “why not both?”

If you don’t fix anything else until healthcare is fixed, you’ll be fixing nothing until the end of time

[hnhnhnhnhnhnhn]

Far too expensive

[bravoetch]

Why do people want to generate jobs? I'd rather generate a jobless utopia where we all do art.

[HWR_14]

Because today the options are "jobs exist" or "people starve in the street".

[Jtarii]

Starvation is not a likely outcome from job loss in the western world.

[iberator]

homelessness and hunger is a real danger in the west. I got homeless in 2025... Extremely hard to get out.

[Jtarii]

Hate to break it to you but the average guy that does manual labour would more likely become a criminal than a musician if you deleted his job.

What's that saying about idle hands.

Jobs root people to their communities and give them purpose in life.

[ksherlock]

Scenario: It's Friday night. You don't have to work tomorrow. Are you more likely to pull out your hammer and chisel and work on a classical marble sculpture -or- get shit faced at a dive bar? Hey, maybe the vomit splatters will evoke Jackson Pollock!

[brookst]

Check out the etymology of “utopia”