Facts About High Speed Rail

People want it. Politicians hem and haw and evade it. Nobody is entirely sure how much it costs or who will pay or how to pay for it. It’s a heck of a lot easier, more comfortable, and less of a hassle than going in and out of airports. So what exactly are the facts about high speed rail and why we don’t have it in America?

Just look at Boston. Once a smallish city but now busting at the seems from population growth and explosive moves in development of infrastructure and buildings. Massachusetts recently ranked #1 in the nation for top states to live in, and people want to live in Boston. The local rail, knows as the T, is in shambles. Rail cars catching on fire and other issues are not unusual.

In Europe there are plentiful options for taking high speed rail that is faster than air travel and more comfortable overall. In Asia it is even more common and extraordinary. The Environmental And Energy Study Institute published a paper highlighting how superior Asia is to America in high speed rail.

The facts are that America lags behind the rest of the developed world. There are no factual barriers in terms of land, products, technology, labor, etc. It could get done. It’s politics that is the issue blocking it. Texas might be leading the way in the United States with a high speed rail line from Dallas to Houston, but that faces the usual roadblocks as well in terms of politics. You might be SMH, but don’t hold your breath waiting on that bullet train ride to go watch a Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks game. Even Boston to New York is not yet as fast as places in China or Thailand.