this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2025
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[–] NutWrench@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (17 children)

The only national passenger train service I know of is Amtrak, which shares its tracks with freight carriers. So the current infrastructure isn't designed for high-speed rail and freight carriers usually get priority.

Also, The US is really big, so everything isn't a short train ride away from everything else. If I wanted to visit the Grand Canyon from where I live, it's over 2,000 miles away. That's 30 hours of driving just by car.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

Also, The US is really big

There's absolutely no good reason why you shouldn't be able to take a train from LA to Seattle or Miami to El Paso. The US coastline is plenty dense, with highway exits every five or ten miles state after state after state.

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (6 children)

I have heard that China has made significant efforts in this area, but that really is a massive change in just over a decade.
Meanwhile, the UK will take as long to build a single high-speed line.

[–] OhShitSon@lemm.ee 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I guess paying for labour isn't something that can happen, it has to be slaves.

Well the US has slavery for prisoners(13th amendment), yet STILL no modern rail infrastructure.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I guess paying for labour isn’t something that can happen

In China, the only time you get a good thing is if someone does ten bad things.

Well the US has slavery for prisoners(13th amendment), yet STILL no modern rail infrastructure.

A small price to pay for Christianity, Liberty, and Prosperity

[–] huppakee@feddit.nl 1 points 1 week ago

The secret to it being affordable, doesn't mean it can't be done any other way. Authoritarian government also helped a lot in getting it done this fast but still doesn't mean it can't be done. Just not as fast and as cheap as China did.

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