Why The US Has No High-Speed Rail

China has the world’s fastest and largest high-speed rail network — more than 19,000 miles, the vast majority of which was built in the past decade.

Japan’s bullet trains can reach nearly 200 miles per hour and date to the 1960s. They have moved more than 9 billion people without a single passenger causality. casualty

France began service of the high-speed TGV train in 1981 and the rest of Europe quickly followed.

But the U.S. has no true high-speed trains, aside from sections of Amtrak’s Acela line in the Northeast Corridor. The Acela can reach 150 mph for only 34 miles of its 457-mile span. Its average speed between New York and Boston is about 65 mph.

California’s high-speed rail system is under construction, but whether it will ever get completed as intended is uncertain.

Watch the video to see why the U.S. continues to fail with high-speed trains, and some companies that are trying to fix that.

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Why The US Has No High-Speed Rail

[wanmaster]

"the flatlands of Look at the topological map of Japan, and tell me that it's flat. 90% of Japan is mountain. What a bunch excuses.

[grincadorna]

USA: lets build a bullet train = no budget
USA: let’s go to war = no problem

[PistachioDean]

US: Japan didn't have to deal with mountains.

Japan: whole island is made up of mountains. Builds the shinkansen line to Nagano in the 1990s for the Winter Olympics in the JAPANESE ALPS.

[ericsmith]

One major reason the US will never have a high speed rail system boils down to politics. In order to function efficiently, a high speed rail system has to be a point to point rail line, with few, if any, intermediate stops. This is because the trains achieve their efficiency thru long uninterrupted runs at high speed. A line from New York to Miami, to give an example, might stop in Philadelphia, and Washington, DC., and maybe one other stop. But politics being what it is, every representative, whose district the line passes thru, will not vote for the funding unless the high speed line includes a stop in HIS district. So a stop in every congressional district between New York and Miami will render the "high speed" train no faster than a conventional passenger train.

[MrLuigiFercotti]

The US is now completely incapable of building any large infrastructure project. Every project is ridiculously politicized and seen as a giant money grab bag that results in grossly inflated costs and endless delays.

[JohnDoe]

USA: we are a car country
Japan: No problem, how many do you need?

[ryko]

saying japan and china can build easier because its flat there is BS. Japan bore through every mountain and China bridges over any body of water, meanwhile CA can't even complete a route through the flat valley

[ambition]

0:48: 🚄 The US lags behind in high-speed rail, but it could provide environmental benefits and alleviate congestion
4:08: 🚆 High-speed rail is gaining popularity in America, but the only true high-speed rail system under construction is in California, which is facing budget and construction challenges.
08:04: 💰 The primary reason why America is behind on high-speed rail is due to lack of funding and political will.
11:54: 🚆 Private companies and tech giants are investing in high-speed rail projects in the US, with some optimism for the future of train travel.
15:25: 🤔 It is unlikely for California to catch up with the world's quick deployment of projects due to various hindrances.
Recap by Tammy AI

[pimscholten]

So many excuses.. High speed rail in Germany and France goes right through densly populated and mountainous regions.

[Dread_]

So basically, again in the history of America, a faster and much more efficient process was abandoned for slower and less efficient process because the money of large companies was more important

[nvtrilm]

I am Japanese.
In Japan, 70% is occupied by mountains, and has a complicated topography. The Shinkansen also passes through many mountains. That is why the long nose of the Shinkansen was born. The long nose gradually reduces the air pressure by gradually increasing the surface area from the tip so that no explosion noise is generated when entering the tunnel at high speed.

[clairewoods]

Whoever thinks the average Americans do not need high rail system please pay a trip to Japan, Taiwan, and China to first-handed experience the convenience of the mass transportation. Don't be shy of changing your opinion once you open your eyes.

[Difdauf]

US : Our country isn't flat enough.
France and UK : Should we tell them we have rails under the sea ?

[BryceLovesTech]

I'm an American and served in the military. In the 90s I was in Tokyo and when I got back to the states I was ashamed of our current infrastructure. We are so far behind

[AustinthGenTexan]

It's been drilled into American heads that using public transportation is low-class and only for the poor. When I fly to Europe, I never rent a car. Rail is boss. Once you ride the rails in Switzerland, your whole idea about rail travel will change! 🇨🇭

[ericlane]

Blame the airline, automobile, and oil & natural gas companies' greed for our antiquated transportation system!

[Mallyumansky]

High speed rail? Hell some cities in the USA can't even get a light rail system lmao 😂 😂😂 😂

[thatniceguy]

"Flat lands of japan"
ARE YOU JOKING?!
Look at a map and show me those flat lands, or maybe leave out Japan of that sentence, would it have been so hard to mention just 1 example?

[jonathanhall]

Every problem in America starts off like “well some rich people felt like they weren’t making enough money”

[kamranamjad]

What about China who builds high speed rail in Tibet which is 3000m above sea level featuring 47 tunnels and 121 bridges. Terrain and geography isn't the excuse here.