May 7th, 2009
When Americans were well-trained
There was a time when Americans could take the train, and go places. Schedules then connected towns and cities more than once per day. Here’s what one curious person discovered about travel in his area a century ago, before cars ruled.
There currently is deep scepticism about rail travel in America. Even among those who “like the idea.” Too expensive, too late, won’t be done. We only have single track lines. The objections are nearly endless.
Once capital of the carmania, now California looks to high speed rail as a dream for its future. One optimistic investment watcher sees high speed rail leading to another urban real estate boom.
Down in Oil Land, that would be Texas, they are even looking at some high speed trains. Says one local pub “Although Texas considered a high-speed rail system – linking Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin – nearly two decades ago, the idea was dropped because the consortium selected to construct the system was unable to get state funding.” Now those Texans are trying, again, to get that 200 MPH train service into planning.
Meanwhile, in southern Britain they’re going to introduce local service on lines running 140 MPH. They call them “javelin trains.” Can America ever catch up? We’re still jumping hurdles.
I will continue to blog about this issue. It combines spending, jobs, energy conservation, urban planning, housing sprawl, greenhouse emissions, land use–many of the finer issues of American economic and environmental haphazardness.
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A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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