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MindPilot

(12,693 posts)
48. High-speed rail on the west coast? Where?!
Wed Jul 24, 2013, 03:52 PM
Jul 2013

Thank you very much for your been-there-done-that perspective from the inside, but I have to ask what drugs were you taking when you hallucinated the west coast high-speed passenger rail service, and will you share? I would like to also experience the illusion of high-speed rail.

Last year I rode the Coast Starlight from San Diego to Portland and back, three days each way, (most of the time the cars on the parallel road were passing the train) and unpleasant enough that this seasoned rail passenger never wants to do it again.

And if you want to go east from California? Fly.

You do understand that AMTRAK utilizes the rails owned by other railroads, right? wercal Jul 2013 #1
Yep. Buy or pull eminent domain on them. Taverner Jul 2013 #2
These would be the private "rights of way" originally secured from public lands, yes? villager Jul 2013 #3
What the hell does that matter wercal Jul 2013 #11
Well, if it doesn't matter, I guess you can stop being in high dudgeon villager Jul 2013 #15
Look the op has no idea what he is talking about wercal Jul 2013 #20
I "rant?" Bit of a projection, yes? villager Jul 2013 #23
So we both agree - your opinion on the acquisition on ROW wercal Jul 2013 #25
And now, in typical "my anger comes before anything else" internet posting fashion... villager Jul 2013 #29
Really....am I the incoherent one? wercal Jul 2013 #50
You're one of those professional argument seekers. villager Jul 2013 #66
Lets see? wercal Jul 2013 #67
well, you were picking an argument with the OP, if we're going to remember it accurately villager Jul 2013 #68
Got it wercal Jul 2013 #69
You're a real words-in-mouth guy, which may explain the constant anger. But I never thought you were villager Jul 2013 #70
+1 HiPointDem Jul 2013 #30
you do understand that this is basically a giveaway to freight lines .. srican69 Jul 2013 #17
So what wercal Jul 2013 #21
looks like you're the person who doesn't know how the rail system works, since you don't HiPointDem Jul 2013 #32
Well why don't you show me where I said ANYTHING contrary to your post wercal Jul 2013 #49
'private ownership' is not the insurmountable obstacle or 'flaw' you claim, nor does the OP's HiPointDem Jul 2013 #52
I used to tell this to my kids: wercal Jul 2013 #57
i have no interest in explaining anything to you, it would be a siphysian task. HiPointDem Jul 2013 #60
Ok...confirming that 'Just because you say something, it doesn't make it true' wercal Jul 2013 #62
i wasn't trying to impress you, & i never use spellcheck. i use the word that fits. if i'd been HiPointDem Jul 2013 #64
Amtrak owns the tracks along the Northeast Corridor KamaAina Jul 2013 #59
They own the NE routes because they have the ridership to justify the maintenance costs wercal Jul 2013 #65
Where you going to get the track from? MicaelS Jul 2013 #4
Good answer. Brickbat Jul 2013 #7
Thanks. n/t MicaelS Jul 2013 #10
"tracks owned by private RR companies" built on land they got for free from the gov't, with HiPointDem Jul 2013 #34
High-speed rail on the west coast? Where?! MindPilot Jul 2013 #48
Nope, won't happen. elleng Jul 2013 #53
Nationalize Amtrak dtotire Jul 2013 #5
Actually, most European countries are now allowing private operators to compete with the national RR brooklynite Jul 2013 #16
yes, with a little push from the forces of neoliberalism, primarily the US & UK. doesn't negate HiPointDem Jul 2013 #35
People really don't have any idea when it comes to trackage, trackage rights, "bullet trains" and Brickbat Jul 2013 #6
We gave them the rails with the Homestead Act, we can take them back Taverner Jul 2013 #8
Um....no. Brickbat Jul 2013 #9
A lot of the RR right of way has been converted to recreational trails csziggy Jul 2013 #22
The tracks required for high speed rail and freight trains are different FarCenter Jul 2013 #54
I thought Amtrak was already a completely nationalized industry? NuclearDem Jul 2013 #12
Amtrack is a nationalized passenger rail service. JVS Jul 2013 #18
Tracks aside, what is private about Amtrak now? Boom Sound 416 Jul 2013 #13
Go home. HiPointDem Jul 2013 #36
One way? Boom Sound 416 Jul 2013 #47
Nothing. elleng Jul 2013 #55
UNREC brooklynite Jul 2013 #14
Start with the local areas, then move it national Taverner Jul 2013 #40
Within that 400-mile distance KamaAina Jul 2013 #61
If we're going to play fantasy wishing games... MicaelS Jul 2013 #19
USA: Completely nationalize, rebuild and then give to the citizens. PowerToThePeople Jul 2013 #24
Thats all fine and dandy, but how we going to do all that production.... NoOneMan Jul 2013 #26
Solar power most of it Taverner Jul 2013 #27
We're going to put solar panels on the bulldozers we need to mine the ore? NoOneMan Jul 2013 #28
Probably a lot of steel in Detroit's decaying infrastructure could be recycled. PowerToThePeople Jul 2013 #31
This is true Taverner Jul 2013 #38
And we can use all the rotted wood and abandoned homes in Detroit .... oldhippie Jul 2013 #45
Relax - one vehicle at a time Taverner Jul 2013 #41
Thatll....take some time NoOneMan Jul 2013 #43
And we can finance the entire project .... oldhippie Jul 2013 #33
I was going to say we could finance it on hope NoOneMan Jul 2013 #39
That's even a better idea! oldhippie Jul 2013 #42
it's quite amazing how many 'democrats' hate a pretty basic idea like national rail. HiPointDem Jul 2013 #37
...add pretty much all public transportation n/t leftstreet Jul 2013 #44
funny democrats HiPointDem Jul 2013 #46
There are no numbers in the OP to indicate that the proposal is even close to economic FarCenter Jul 2013 #56
maybe it's not, but that's not the drift of the naysayers. i think it's a bit blue-sky, but i HiPointDem Jul 2013 #58
Employee owned, great idea n/t WovenGems Jul 2013 #51
When my mom asks me what I learned today I'm going to tell her.... sgtbenobo Jul 2013 #63
All we need now is Bunnahabhain Jul 2013 #71
Ahhhh but this would make the makers takers and vice versa Taverner Jul 2013 #72
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