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Message
Will we see the rise of Trains?
Posted on 6/14/23 at 11:27 pm
Posted on 6/14/23 at 11:27 pm
I post on money board to ask investing.
When Gasoline declines, how will people vacation on the gulf coast with their baggage?
Will we see a more modern rail system for travel in the USA.
When Gasoline declines, how will people vacation on the gulf coast with their baggage?
Will we see a more modern rail system for travel in the USA.
16
Posted on 6/14/23 at 11:44 pm to WWII Collector
quote:
Will we see a more modern rail system for travel in the USA.
Almost assuredly no. All the transportation talk is about going to electric, not ditching personal transportation all together.
America is too big and community infrastructure too spread out for a shift away from cars to happen en masse.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 1:10 am to WWII Collector
quote:
I post on money board to ask investing. When Gasoline declines, how will people vacation on the gulf coast with their baggage? Will we see a more modern rail system for travel in the USA.
Gas has nothing to do how I spend my money. Gulf coast vacations
This post was edited on 6/15/23 at 1:17 am
Posted on 6/15/23 at 6:09 am to WWII Collector
There's a couple of big impediments, a lot of it societal.
Outside of the Northeast, most people can't envision where they can get from New Orleans to say Pensacola in an hour, even though by high speed rail it could be an hour, without traffic. The other is a general disdain for public transportation, only because most of the middle class has no need for it.
This compounds the financial discussion because no one wants to spend money on something they see as a societal blunder or impossibility.
Outside of the Northeast, most people can't envision where they can get from New Orleans to say Pensacola in an hour, even though by high speed rail it could be an hour, without traffic. The other is a general disdain for public transportation, only because most of the middle class has no need for it.
This compounds the financial discussion because no one wants to spend money on something they see as a societal blunder or impossibility.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 6:39 am to WWII Collector
No
Posted on 6/15/23 at 6:45 am to WWII Collector
Trains are not nearly what people think they are. America will never have a train system as we are a suburban sprawl society. Europe and Asia is a city centric society, where a train from city center to city center makes sense. That will never make sense in the USA.
Furthermore, Europeans drive cars plenty outside of the city centers. The media just doesn’t like to talk about it.
Furthermore, Europeans drive cars plenty outside of the city centers. The media just doesn’t like to talk about it.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 7:05 am to WWII Collector
quote:
When Gasoline declines, how will people vacation on the gulf coast with their baggage?
ICE vehicles aren't going to stop being produced within our lifetimes (outside of some amazing new tech being developed which blows away the convenience and BTUs of gasoline). The hype of EV technology is still well above the reality of it. Max distance for EVs are usually computed using ideal conditions (temperature, not towing anything, flat surface, no head-wind, etc), our grids aren't close to being ready for even 10% of vehicles to be electric, replacement batteries are a MASSIVE cost and require rare minerals (which we don't have), it takes a lot of extra time to recharge an EV and regardless of all this we will still need fossil fuels (see: natural gas) to provide electricity.
On top of this, EVs can weight anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds more than their ICE equivalents (meaning more and sooner infrastructure work is likely).
These points are all small barriers to adoption which come together to have a large cumulative impact.
quote:
Will we see a more modern rail system for travel in the USA.
Not likely. The US is a MASSIVE place when compared to countries with high consumer rail use (like those of Europe). Outside of a few notable areas, we simply don't have the population density for this to be feasible. Along with that, most Americans are used to having their vehicles.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 7:18 am to WWII Collector
The infrastructure is just too expensive.
Therefore, the cost to consumers would be too expensive.
Therefore, the cost to consumers would be too expensive.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 7:55 am to NYNolaguy1
“by high speed rail.” LOL. How is that little project in Cali working out?
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:04 am to WWII Collector
Outside of the major cities the distances are too great. Have you priced long distance amtrack tickets? It’s way more than air travel and takes longer than driving in some cases.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:26 am to WWII Collector
quote:they will take the newest luxury ship, The Carnival Perspiration
When Gasoline declines, how will people vacation on the gulf coast with their baggage?
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:55 am to SloaneRanger
quote:
by high speed rail.” LOL. How is that little project in Cali working out?
Aside from doing any business/construction in California not working out at all (see San Francisco), I think you proved my point that most people just can't imagine getting on a train to somewhere, even if it's possible and would probably benefit them.
Go travel to Japan or a lot of places in Europe and you might have a different viewpoint.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 9:59 am to WWII Collector
The northeast has decent infrastructure for trains. From NYC you can get to DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore etc. in a relatively short time period. But those cities are easier to get around without a car. You take a train from say NOLA to Houston, you'll still need a car or you'll be paying a shite load for Uber
Posted on 6/15/23 at 10:02 am to WWII Collector
Freight carriers own most of the tracks. And they aren’t yielding to passenger traffic or investing into more tracks for Amtrak without Congress paying them.
And they aren’t going to let congress change the rules around who has right of way between passenger and freight traffic. But states can do that.
I just don’t see this happening without higher speeds and more stops. And I don’t see that happening without massive federal funding. And that won’t happen for the gulf coast until California and the northeast get everyone they could ever want from a passenger rail perspective.
I took the Metra rail daily in Chicago. It’s awesome. But that’s a commuter heavy rail….different from the longer hikes that Amtrak will have to organize.
And they aren’t going to let congress change the rules around who has right of way between passenger and freight traffic. But states can do that.
I just don’t see this happening without higher speeds and more stops. And I don’t see that happening without massive federal funding. And that won’t happen for the gulf coast until California and the northeast get everyone they could ever want from a passenger rail perspective.
I took the Metra rail daily in Chicago. It’s awesome. But that’s a commuter heavy rail….different from the longer hikes that Amtrak will have to organize.
This post was edited on 6/15/23 at 10:04 am
Posted on 6/15/23 at 1:35 pm to dewster
Hydrogen will replace EV (not scalable or sustainable) starting 10-20 years from now and then will much more slowly than everyone is virtue signaling about now, gradually replace ICE vehicles.
Oilprice.com - Scientists Leap Forward In Sustainable Hydrogen Production
Oilprice.com - Scientists Leap Forward In Sustainable Hydrogen Production
This post was edited on 6/15/23 at 1:35 pm
Posted on 6/15/23 at 2:35 pm to dewster
quote:
And they aren’t going to let congress change the rules around who has right of way between passenger and freight traffic. But states can do that.
No they can't.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:13 pm to WWII Collector
Well, the day will come when when run out of oil.
So take a person that has properties scattered thought the local states for example.. Or when we run out of gas, I don't see how you can jump in your car and take a vacation 400 miles away.
Remember the toilet paper shortage... Imagine when we start running out of oil.
So take a person that has properties scattered thought the local states for example.. Or when we run out of gas, I don't see how you can jump in your car and take a vacation 400 miles away.
Remember the toilet paper shortage... Imagine when we start running out of oil.
This post was edited on 6/15/23 at 8:23 pm
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:27 pm to WWII Collector
It better be a lot more modern and cheaper
A $16 ticket from Birmingham to New Orleans isn’t worth the 9 hour train ride. Factor in a family of four, and it’s cheaper and quicker to drive.
A $16 ticket from Birmingham to New Orleans isn’t worth the 9 hour train ride. Factor in a family of four, and it’s cheaper and quicker to drive.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 9:34 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
A $16 ticket from Birmingham to New Orleans isn’t worth the 9 hour train ride.
I like train travel and have tried hard to make this trip work. It ends in disaster every time. Seven and a half hours if it is on time. And it is never on time. There is no hope for Amtrak if it can't make routes like this work.
Posted on 6/15/23 at 10:09 pm to WWII Collector
quote:
Well, the day will come when when run out of oil.
So take a person that has properties scattered thought the local states for example.. Or when we run out of gas, I don't see how you can jump in your car and take a vacation 400 miles away.
Valid point, except you’re assuming that when that day comes, those vehicles will necessarily have internal combustion engines. Increasingly, that’s not the case. Every major automotive OEM is basing its future on EVs and other non-ICE propulsion.
Personally, I don’t care what’s in my daily driver/grocery getter. But as a person who almost cried when the V12s, V10s and finally the high revving V8s left F1 and were replaced by sick sounding hybrid power units (PUs = pee yew! to me), I’ll always have a fondness for ICE powered performance cars til the day they plant me in the ground. And I do enjoy train travel for fun/leisure, but I doubt there’ll ever be a real push for it as a major transportation option across the U.S.
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