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China's bullet train that could go from NY to Chicago in 4.5 hours shows how behind US is
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:49 pm
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:49 pm
quote:
I had made plans to travel from Beijing to Xi'an, the capital of northwestern Shaanxi province and the imperial capital of China for centuries.
The distance between the two cities is around 746 miles, making it slightly more than two hours by plane, 11 hours by car, and anywhere between 11.5 hours and 17.5 hours on a regular train.
On China's top-of-the-line "bullet train," the journey takes 4.5 hours.
If I wanted to travel a comparable distance in the US by train — at 712 miles, New York to Chicago is the closest — it would take 22 hours, with a transfer in Washington, DC. And that's with traveling on Amtrak's Acela Express, currently the fastest train in the US with a speed up to 214 km/h (150 mph).
After riding China's bullet trains back and forth across the country, I couldn't help feel as if the US is being left behind, at least when it comes to transit.
During my one month in China, I started by taking planes across the country — three in total. But about halfway through the trip, I realized how dead simple and convenient the bullet trains were. I ended up taking four bullet trains in total.
The last one, from Zhengzhou to Shenzhen, covered a distance of 992 miles, or about the distance between New York and Jacksonville, Florida. The trip took a little over six hours.
The prices of the train tickets topped out around $100 from what I saw, which was the most mind-blowing thing for me. Train tickets on the only remotely high-speed train in the US, the Acela Express from New York to Washington, DC, frequently go for more than $200.
Experts have said that the reason for the lack of investment in the US in high-speed rail is its large land size and the relative distance between major cities. The lower population density in the US, when compared to China, the EU, or Japan, is also cited.
While it's hard to imagine a rail network as extensive as China's or a rail line connecting New York with Los Angeles, it seems crazy that, at this point, the best high-speed offering in China is eons more advanced and effective than its US equivalent.
LINK
This post was edited on 5/11/18 at 9:50 pm
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:50 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
it seems crazy that, at this point, the best high-speed offering in China is eons more advanced and effective than its US equivalent.
it really doesn't
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:51 pm to Bench McElroy
Dictatorships can do shite like that.
They don't have to deal with pesky things like property rights and paying attention to what the public has to say.
They don't have to deal with pesky things like property rights and paying attention to what the public has to say.
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:52 pm to TrueTiger
quote:
They don't have to deal with pesky things like property rights and paying attention to what the public has to say.
slavery + the lack of anything like OSHA helps, too
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:52 pm to Bench McElroy
I actually like this topic.
We are behind in a lot of things and guess what.... we will remain so until the US elects people that DEMAND USA comes first.
WE F'n BUILT JAPAN
WE F'n BUILT CHINA
It's time we built the USA!
We are behind in a lot of things and guess what.... we will remain so until the US elects people that DEMAND USA comes first.
WE F'n BUILT JAPAN
WE F'n BUILT CHINA
It's time we built the USA!
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:53 pm to Bench McElroy
(no message)
This post was edited on 3/7/21 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:53 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
slightly more than two hours by plane,
Soooo imma take that plane
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:53 pm to Bench McElroy
colossal waste of money
even liberal california is having enough with the bullet train plans.
even liberal california is having enough with the bullet train plans.
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:53 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
Experts have said that the reason for the lack of investment in the US in high-speed rail is its large land size and the relative distance between major cities.
It’s really because passenger rail doesn’t make money anywhere.
Even the NY subway system with its enormous ridership loses money after debt service on the construction bonds is taken into account.
Those trains in China he’s jizzing himself over are being built and run at a big loss by the government (or heavily government-backed companies). If we wanted to burn money just to say we had fast trains, we could. It’s not as if they’ve made some technological achievement; it’s just that their government decided that that’s what they want to subsidize.
This post was edited on 5/11/18 at 9:57 pm
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:53 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
712 miles, New York to Chicago is the closest — it would take 22 hours
Perhaps I’m confused.
If at 60 miles an hour driving, that’s around 12 hours driving.
Why spend billions on something so worthless?
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:54 pm to Bench McElroy
Well, I know we get treated like cattle, but long distance travel by air in the U.S. is quicker than the fastest trains. For shorter distances, drive your own car fast on a great network of interstate highways (except for LA).
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:55 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
colossal waste of money
Maybe.... but let's not limit this to just a train...
There is merit to this thought
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:55 pm to Bench McElroy
I've got a Jeep. Why do I need a bullet train?
Does it go to West Texas to my hunting lease?
Well, I guess I don't need it.
Do you see the difference?
We have freedom to move here. I can go from the Atlantic to the Pacific and no one cares. Freedom is a beautiful thing!
Does it go to West Texas to my hunting lease?
Well, I guess I don't need it.
Do you see the difference?
We have freedom to move here. I can go from the Atlantic to the Pacific and no one cares. Freedom is a beautiful thing!
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:57 pm to Wild Thang
quote:
Perhaps I’m confused. If at 60 miles an hour driving, that’s around 12 hours driving.
I think it’s 22 hours by regular train due to a required stop in DC.
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:57 pm to Wild Thang
Just to edit after on that, a guy who works for me left this evening from Baton Rouge to New York.
Has an SUV with 6 adults. They are just gonna switch drivers through the night.
Saving them like 2k in costs.
Wtf is your point?
Has an SUV with 6 adults. They are just gonna switch drivers through the night.
Saving them like 2k in costs.
Wtf is your point?
Posted on 5/11/18 at 9:57 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
shows how behind US
We've advanced on to air travel.
We're not behind
Posted on 5/11/18 at 10:00 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
I think it’s 22 hours by regular train due to a required stop in DC.
Ok.
But it’s still a 12 hour drive compared to 4.5 by expensive train.
And you have the chance to stop in parts of the country you have never been.
Plus tax money isn’t wasted for the extra 7.5 hours.
Who gives a shite about China’s train
Posted on 5/11/18 at 10:00 pm to graychef
quote:
Americans value air travel over train travel.
Correct and we don't have the population density.
But while Chinese are packed into trains in 15 years Americans will be transported in flying drones.
Posted on 5/11/18 at 10:00 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
We're not behind
They’re the ones who are behind. They can build airframes, but they can’t build their own jet engines. They have to buy them from Russia. They can’t machine the turbofan blades. True story. Those frickers can do nothing but copy. This is just them copying Japan from 60 years ago. Japan is their daddy. China is just Asian Mexico. The Japanese are the Aryans of Asia.
This post was edited on 5/11/18 at 10:03 pm
Posted on 5/11/18 at 10:01 pm to SlowFlowPro
quote:
slavery + the lack of anything like OSHA helps, too
They still use bamboo scaffolding in industrial applications
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