Comments on: One can build a commuter rail network, an intercity network, or a point-to-point HSR line

By: Cold War Kid

Cold War Kid — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 02:34:31 +0000

We need to remember why we have a transportation network as well as decentralized population and manufacturing centers. Nukes, boy and girls. Just like a decentralized internet was developed to maximize comms post-hits, we are decentralized for that reason. Nukes are city busters, and if the opponent is concentrated at la China.. well let’s just say the population centers would experience rapid depletion.

By: Harry Jones

Harry Jones — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 22:38:45 +0000

I generally find bus travel to be an unpleasant experience.

HSR is fun. I also appreciate a good subway – not an old, decrepit system.

Driving gets me where I want to be, when I want to be there – so long as it’s not more than seven hours. Beyond that point, it’s a drag.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 06:04:12 +0000

If you’re going to build a rail, priority number one is getting the lawyers out of the planning committees.

Priority number two is dispensing with the planning committees.

Priority number three is hiring twenty-year-old men to make the trains run on time, as nature intended.

By: Gavin Longmuir

Gavin Longmuir — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:58:22 +0000

We have to start with the distribution of the population — i.e., housing. How do the people live? And where do they work?

High Speed Rail is very effective in China, because most of the people are highly concentrated in 30-story apartment buildings. The residents can walk across the street to supermarkets, entertainment facilities, and parks. They can take effective mass transit systems to HSR stations. And when they get to the HSR station at the other end of their journey, there are effective mass transit systems to take them to their final destination. (Rather different than landing at a Western airport remote from the traveler’s final destination).

It all starts with a highly concentrated population. If we start with the typical low-density Western population, both mass transit and HSR don’t work.

By: David Foster

David Foster — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:19:09 +0000

“frequent services means that most trains have to stop there, and each stop adds 20 minutes to the travel time just to slow down and speed back up.”

This is true of aircraft travel as well; the plane has to descend, land, and taxi to the terminal, then reverse the process on departure. Not to mention air traffic delays in many cases. In general, the stop & go time will be greater for airplanes that are faster and fly at higher altitudes.

By: Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:59:40 +0000

Antiplanner has a large number of posts on transport in general and on public transport in particular:

https://ti.org/antiplanner/

He (a self-described train enthusiast) notes that for urban public transport the preferred method is buses. On a per passenger mile basis, buses have the lowest capital and operating costs, the lowest fuel costs, the lowest emissions rate, and very great flexibility in routes and schedules. Trains and trolleys have the worst in every category. Automobiles, surprisingly, are a close second to buses.

He also notes that in the BosWash corridor, buses carry more intercity passengers than does Amtrack, and the trips are quicker.