What Real Rail Systems Look Like: HSR Connections

[Metro Jacksonville]

What Real Rail Systems Look Like: HSR Connections



Since the decline and almost total destruction of the American Passenger Rail Network in the 70s and the demolition and dismemberment of the interurbans and streetcars in almost every city across the continent during the 40's and 50's the memory and easy familiarity with an interlinked network of passenger rail systems has almost completely faded. In fact, for most Americans, the only images they have of passenger rail systems, and subways in particular, are Amtrak, the New York Metro, the San Francisco BART, and Chicago. Not a very inspiring bunch. However, most of the rest of the developed countries have quite wonderful passenger rail networks. They are clean, efficient, cheap, run on time, have as many as 20 or even 25 trains an hour (one every three minutes) during peak periods, and everybody from all income levels uses them. Join Nate Lewis, economist and urban theorist as we have a look at High Speed Rail around the world.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-what-real-rail-systems-look-like-hsr-connections

[Garden guy]

I have such a blast on europes trains..i just dont see our conservative politicians allowing this to happen here...it's too public and republicans are anti-public..look at simple things like public schools...welcome to america..."buy a car"

[Traveller]

On the flip side, Californians may be having second thoughts about their own proposed high speed rail line.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9310511/Buyers-remorse-for-Californias-bullet-train-to-nowhere.html

[BackinJax05]

Thank God high speed rail bombed in Florida, too. Before committing billions or trillions of dollars on trains to nowhere, lets make the best use of what we already have. Many of our transportation problems could be addressed with conventional rail for alot less money.

[tufsu1]

^ I don't disagree that high speed rail might have been a bit too much to start with, but Tampa, Orlando, and Miami are nowhere...really?

[Ocklawaha]

I agree TUFSU1, Florida certainly has the population and the density, not to mention world fame as a national recreation area. We certainly are not 'Nowhere,' because as the photograph demonstrates, 'Nowhere,' is in western OKLAHOMA!

Our distances are what bumbles up the mix for HSR in Florida, we are MUCH better suited to a system of fast (90-120 mph) conventional trains with a spreading, comprehensive collector-distributer network, feeding into a high speed rail hub in downtown Jacksonville. We are the southern anchor city of the Southeast High Speed Rail Network, from Jacksonville Terminal people could (or should be able to) transfer for:

Jacksonville - Gainesville
Jacksonville - Ocala - Dade City - Tampa
Jacksonville - Ocala - Dade City - Lakeland - Ft. Myers - Naples
Jacksonville - Tallahassee - Pensacola (Mobile and New Orleans)
Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa - Sarasota
Jacksonville - Orlando - Winter Haven - Sebring - West Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami
Jacksonville - St. Augustine - Daytona Beach - Cocoa Beach - West Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami

The track is in place and frankly, at current track speed, the trains could start rolling tomorrow. The State of Florida's concept of a sideways "T" shaped passenger rail 'network', (Jacksonville - Cocoa - Miami / Cocoa - Tampa) is extremely shortsighted.

Though the Florida East Coast is the "Speedway to America's Playground," FDOT apparently threw every community between Jacksonville and Tampa along US - 301 under the CSX freight train in a 'deal' to remove freight traffic from the new Sunrail commuter district in Orlando.

Nowhere? Hardly! Nowhere is in Oklahoma. 

[JFman00]

Anyone know why the estimate for Cali's system is 3-4x more expensive than the actual build cost of equivalent networks in Europe?

[BackinJax05]

^ I don't disagree that high speed rail might have been a bit too much to start with, but Tampa, Orlando, and Miami are nowhere...really?

Thats what I was trying to say. Start with whats already in place. Rail lines connect Tampa, Orlando, & Miami right now.