Air travel and major airlines have created a monopoly on long distance travel, leaving air travel as the only option for quick travel across the country. As a result air travel is rapidly becoming more expensive, less comfortable, and less reliable. Revitalizing more traditional methods of travel by establishing more transcontinental rail systems for use of public transit, and optimizing them with recent technological innovations would allow for some much needed free market competition. A nationwide public train system has the opportunity to be much faster and cheaper than air travel for the average American, and would likely encourage airline companies to make some much needed improvements to the industry and return to their roots of creating a comfortable and enjoyable experience rather than selling seats to overcrowded sky-busses at ridiculously high prices.
Agreed, it should also be noted that major automakers like Ford and GM have lobbyists that slow the cases that address the need for public transit. The more options, the better off we are and AREN’T reliant on just one system. This would also create an influx of job opportunities across the entire country should this gain traction
This is also something vital for rural communities, not just urban ones. Rural communities often do not have adequate access to goods or services including home, appliance or automotive repair services. This would open up these communities immensely.
It would also reduce traffic on major highways and freeways significantly, which would reduce maintenance and repair costs, reduce parking requirements in larger cities and help with gas bills and auto insurance premiums for consumers. Excellent use of tax dollars.
Absolutely! We need a robust highspeed rail network especially in corridors where frequent short-leg flights could be reduced.
With this we also need to end the monopoly the rail companies have had over existing rail corridors so that highspeed and local transit lines can share the tracks and launch service cheaply and quickly.
Essential for both rural and urban development and economic growth. Gets more cars off the road in a non-authoritative manner which frees up maintenance budgets and alleviates excess consumer costs on auto insurance and fuel costs as well as extend the life of their current vehicle so they do not have to have excessive car loan debt.
I fully support this. I live in New England right now, but I moved here from Tacoma, WA, where we had rail lines, or at least transit lines, from Tacoma to Seattle. We have rail lines up here, but they only head to Portland, ME before you have to take a bus. But the other thing I would say is that this would potentially keep Amtrack from monopolizing the rail industry as well. I think transcontinental railroads would be a phenomenal option for travel, and more saturation would also lower the prices of both rail and plane tickets.
With all due respect, a nationwide passenger rail network like you describe would be incredibly expensive and much slower than air so it would fail to attract travelers and it would be underutilized and a drag on the economy.
We don’t need another expensive option that would be slower.
Having spent a good many years working in public transportation I support this but would also add that this country needs to wake up from obsolescence and implement BRT such as what’s used in Curitiba Brazil and many other cities which have adopted the Brazilian model. I have been to Brazil and observed this system in use and ridden it myself. It is vastly superior to the hodgepodge of inefficient and outdated mass transit we have in our crumbling cities.
Bus Rapid Transit systems are much less expensive and land consuming than rail because they use existing road infrastructure.
But back on topic again I have also worked for Amtrak for several years and yes we can do much better with rail transportation. Amtrak is a pathetically failed waste of government money which ought to be sold off at auction to private investors.
IMO they are the laughing stock of passenger rail operators.