Comments on: The Daily Dig: High Speed Rail Edition http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/11/13/the-daily-dig-high-speed-rail-edition-24/ America Under Construction Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:07:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Deacon http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/11/13/the-daily-dig-high-speed-rail-edition-24/comment-page-1/#comment-10142 Deacon Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:08:05 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=5670#comment-10142 Good for al those countries who are getting them some HSR. Props to China for stealing the show, 13 000 km by 2012. WOW! Here we are projected to start building a 700 mile + system in 2011 in California and it won't be complete until.... well at least it will only take 8 - 11 years to get phase 1 going...its a start, a pathetic start, but a start none the less... The only way the USA gets HSR, IMHO is with PPP's. The uproar over government spending is going to hold up any progressive initiative, such as the transport reform, the country needs to get off its oil binge. Yeah there is the huge debt problem, there is also a definite need for improved mobility across the country , the solution requires a progressive thought/planning/execution process that will benefit the people who will be paying for the services to be provided. Can someone pass a law that gags NIMBYS for the benefit of the greater majority? Maybe the Oracle of Omaha can show the initiative that is needed, he has the money to start something. An interesting article on PPP's, with some good points, can be found here: http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature68385/ Good for al those countries who are getting them some HSR. Props to China for stealing the show, 13 000 km by 2012. WOW! Here we are projected to start building a 700 mile + system in 2011 in California and it won’t be complete until…. well at least it will only take 8 - 11 years to get phase 1 going…its a start, a pathetic start, but a start none the less…

The only way the USA gets HSR, IMHO is with PPP’s. The uproar over government spending is going to hold up any progressive initiative, such as the transport reform, the country needs to get off its oil binge. Yeah there is the huge debt problem, there is also a definite need for improved mobility across the country , the solution requires a progressive thought/planning/execution process that will benefit the people who will be paying for the services to be provided. Can someone pass a law that gags NIMBYS for the benefit of the greater majority?

Maybe the Oracle of Omaha can show the initiative that is needed, he has the money to start something.

An interesting article on PPP’s, with some good points, can be found here:

http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature68385/

]]> By: Cyrus http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/11/13/the-daily-dig-high-speed-rail-edition-24/comment-page-1/#comment-10118 Cyrus Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:21:52 +0000 http://www.infrastructurist.com/?p=5670#comment-10118 I've taken the FART several times (partly because I live less than an hour from Locarno, where it begins on the Swiss side). Slow, but very scenic, and just as fast as the long way around via Milano. If you have the chance, it's a fun one to take. Just bring ear plugs for the flange squelch. The line has been open since 1923, and it shows. BTW, FART is an acronym: Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi. I.e., "Regional Bus and Rail Company Ticino," where Ticino is the name of the Swiss canton. I’ve taken the FART several times (partly because I live less than an hour from Locarno, where it begins on the Swiss side). Slow, but very scenic, and just as fast as the long way around via Milano. If you have the chance, it’s a fun one to take. Just bring ear plugs for the flange squelch. The line has been open since 1923, and it shows.

BTW, FART is an acronym: Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi. I.e., “Regional Bus and Rail Company Ticino,” where Ticino is the name of the Swiss canton.

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