HIGH-SPEED RAIL

[Great Rumbler]

WHY DOESN'T THIS BACKWARDS STUPID COUNTRY HAVE ANY AWESOME BULLET TRAINS YET?!?!?!?!?



SOMEONE SEND ME A REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN TO PUNCH IN THE FACE RIGHT NOW

[MrAngryFace]

country is big and made up of states with their own agendas and also that are broke off their asses just trying to keep an old infrastructure alive since no one wants to pay taxes but also want everything welcome to america

[Phoenix Dark]

[Great Rumbler]

country is big and made up of states with their own agendas and also that are broke off their asses just trying to keep an old infrastructure alive since no one wants to pay taxes but also want everything welcome to america

worst country in the whole world

Let's move to Japan and marry maid robots, MAF. Then we can ride the bullet train together.

[MrAngryFace]

Japans fuckin weird- no thanks. Entire worlds on a slow burn towards Idiocracy anyway

[Great Rumbler]

Japans fuckin weird- no thanks.

THEY'VE GOT HIGH-SPEED RAIL AND MAID ROBOTS AND THAT'S ALL I CARE ABOUT

[MrAngryFace]

WELL THEN!

[StealthFan]

I'll only do one if it's off your ass.

[Great Rumbler]

I'll only do one if it's off your ass.

[etiolate]

thanks PD

just discovered wtffanfiction tumblr

[Oblivion]

Slower trains = better

It's called American Exceptionalism, commies!

[tiesto]

Those bullet trains are expensive as fuck. Like $160 to travel 300 miles.

That's only a bit more how much it costs for me to get from NYC to Baltimore.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

How is modern day Amtrak travel? I went on one from VT to NYC 11 years ago and it was ok, but I was debating on doing a trip from NH to FL on one cause I "want to experience the country". Would it be highly uncomfortable and shit riding a trian for 25 hours?

[ToxicAdam]

Bullet trains seem like they would be awesome if you are really poor or really rich.

[tiesto]

How is modern day Amtrak travel? I went on one from VT to NYC 11 years ago and it was ok, but I was debating on doing a trip from NH to FL on one cause I "want to experience the country". Would it be highly uncomfortable and shit riding a trian for 25 hours?

Well the trip from NYC to Baltimore is about 2h40m but it's really comfortable.. seats are nice and roomy and there's a snack car that serves some fast food/snacks. Not sure how 25h on one would be but it's certainly a lot better than being on a cramped airplane.

[Mr. Gundam]

WHY DOESN'T THIS BACKWARDS STUPID COUNTRY HAVE ANY AWESOME BULLET TRAINS YET?!?!?!?!?

Because cars. And the lack of any sort of infrastucture that isn't monopolized by the freight industry.

With that said, I love the rail system in Japan, both high-speed and regular. Took the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then down to Hiroshima on our first trip over there. Absolutely amazing.

Seattle is working on a light rail system that is about 1/4 done at the moment. It pales in comparison to Asia and Europe, but I'm still excited about the possibility of one day walking to the station near my house and going to other parts of the city without having to drive.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Trains > planes/cars/boats

[Huff]

Drivin is fun. We dont need no stinking trains

[Steve Contra]

Bullet trains are fucking awesome.  I get out of the airport in Paris and I'm in the South of France in like 3 hours?  Awesome.

[tiesto]

And another excuse to post this song:

[Mr. Gundam]

We're going back to Japan in April 2014 for 10 days or so. Gonna visit Osaka this time, so we'll be taking the shinkansen down from Tokyo. Good times.

I got pretty drunk with a middle-aged salaryman on the Kyoto-Tokyo train back on our honeymoon. Wife was asleep and the guy sitting across had a big grocery bag full of Asahi that he was willing to share.

Bullet trains are fucking awesome.  I get out of the airport in Paris and I'm in the South of France in like 3 hours?  Awesome.

Yeah. Back when I was in high school, we met my Dad at Schipol, went downstairs and hopped on the TGV to Paris. Pretty incredible.

[bachikarn]

Florida had funding to build a high speed rail between Orlando and Tampa, but our governor nixed it because he is a moron. They were going to continue it to Miami too. Would have been sick.

[Great Rumbler]

Florida had funding to build a high speed rail between Orlando and Tampa, but our governor nixed it because he is a moron. They were going to continue it to Miami too. Would have been sick.

Your governor is Republican, therefore he hates high-speed rail. I don't really understand it either, but there you go.

[Mr. Gundam]

Florida had funding to build a high speed rail between Orlando and Tampa, but our governor nixed it because he is a moron. They were going to continue it to Miami too. Would have been sick.

Your governor is Republican, therefore he hates high-speed rail. I don't really understand it either, but there you go.

Public transportation is for dirty poors. I've had people tell me just as much albeit phrased differently.

[hampster]

I hate living in an area with crappy public transportation. I'm looking at Japan rail and subway maps now. So sexy

How is modern day Amtrak travel? I went on one from VT to NYC 11 years ago and it was ok, but I was debating on doing a trip from NH to FL on one cause I "want to experience the country". Would it be highly uncomfortable and shit riding a trian for 25 hours?

Well the trip from NYC to Baltimore is about 2h40m but it's really comfortable.. seats are nice and roomy and there's a snack car that serves some fast food/snacks. Not sure how 25h on one would be but it's certainly a lot better than being on a cramped airplane.

Yeah, the Acela which is the train from DC to Boston is really nice. I don't know how the rest of the country is like though

[Mr. Gundam]

I hate living in an area with crappy public transportation. I'm looking at Japan rail and subway maps now. So sexy

How is modern day Amtrak travel? I went on one from VT to NYC 11 years ago and it was ok, but I was debating on doing a trip from NH to FL on one cause I "want to experience the country". Would it be highly uncomfortable and shit riding a trian for 25 hours?

Well the trip from NYC to Baltimore is about 2h40m but it's really comfortable.. seats are nice and roomy and there's a snack car that serves some fast food/snacks. Not sure how 25h on one would be but it's certainly a lot better than being on a cramped airplane.

Yeah, the Acela which is the train from DC to Boston is really nice. I don't know how the rest of the country is like though

Out West? Not much. The SF Bay Area has the Bay Area Rapid Transit, LA has a subway system, Portland has the MAX light rail, and Seattle has a very small light rail line that will eventually encompass a good chunk of the city, the airport and a couple neighboring cities and towns. Our rail infrastructure is pathetic compared to the East coast.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

I would basically bet aking a bus from Norther nNH to Boston I think, then get on the Acela to DC, then another "super train" from DC to Orlando. BUt it's still like...20 hours on a fucking train Compared to 6 on a flight. Not sure what to do.

[Steve Contra]

The LA subway system is a fucking mystery.  I'm still amazed it exists.  SF has the best system out west with Bart+Muni+Caltrain.

[Mr. Gundam]

The LA subway system is a fucking mystery.  I'm still amazed it exists.  SF has the best system out west with Bart+Muni+Caltrain.

No doubt about that.

I'm psyched for the Roosevelt light rail station to open just three blocks from my house... in 2019.  

Vancouver BC's Sky Train is pretty nice, though. Goes all the way down to Surrey (US/Canadian border) and into the city.

[cool breeze]

How is modern day Amtrak travel? I went on one from VT to NYC 11 years ago and it was ok, but I was debating on doing a trip from NH to FL on one cause I "want to experience the country". Would it be highly uncomfortable and shit riding a trian for 25 hours?

I don't know if they're still around but years ago I had a long trip and spent it in a sleeper room or whatever it was called.  You had your own room, toilet, TV (this was notable back then), and you could transform the room into a bunkbed.  There were first class/sweets too with showers too (plebs had access to a public shower) you'd see as you walked around.  Meals were included so you'd go down to the diner car and eat meal looking meals with plates and forks like a person.  Entire experience was felt like a crummy hotel on wheels, or tracks.  Since it was such a small single room, you were technically were pooping in your bedroom, or sleeping in your bathroom.

[hampster]

I would basically bet aking a bus from Norther nNH to Boston I think, then get on the Acela to DC, then another "super train" from DC to Orlando. BUt it's still like...20 hours on a fucking train Compared to 6 on a flight. Not sure what to do.

I plugged in some random dates into AirTran for Boston to Orlando and it was around $160 each way. I doubt the scenery outside the train would be worth the extra cost

If I was taking a long train ride as a vacation it would be through Malaysia or something, not the east coast

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Yeah, plus not having to deal with fucking layovers would be worth the extra saved 20 hours . I might just take a plane.

[TakingBackSunday]

I would love these, at least in the East and connecting the Midwest.  Cincy to New York in no time flat?  Awesome.

[ToxicAdam]

more like Cincy-Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany-New York

[TakingBackSunday]

yeah 

[Great Rumbler]

I wanna jump on a bullet train in Dallas and then be in New York City three hours later. That's possible with bullet trains, right? At least, I choose to believe it is.

[Mr. Gundam]

I wanna jump on a bullet train in Dallas and then be in New York City three hours later. That's possible with bullet trains, right? At least, I choose to believe it is.

They're not THAT fast. Not yet, at least.

[Great Rumbler]

I wanna jump on a bullet train in Dallas and then be in New York City three hours later. That's possible with bullet trains, right? At least, I choose to believe it is.

They're not THAT fast. Not yet, at least.

So you're saying there's a chance?

[Mr. Gundam]

I wanna jump on a bullet train in Dallas and then be in New York City three hours later. That's possible with bullet trains, right? At least, I choose to believe it is.

They're not THAT fast. Not yet, at least.

So you're saying there's a chance?

Hehe.

I can't imagine that happening. There would be some sort of noise pollution issue since the trains would be going crazy fast.

[TakingBackSunday]

how safe are these things, generally?  They're going pretty damned fast, I have to imagine there's some very real danger there

[Mr. Gundam]

how safe are these things, generally?  They're going pretty damned fast, I have to imagine there's some very real danger there

As long as you're not riding one in China, very safe.

During the Shinkansen's 48-year, nearly 7 billion-passenger history, there have been no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions,[14] despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Injuries and a single fatality have been caused by doors closing on passengers or their belongings; attendants are employed at platforms to prevent such accidents. There have, however, been suicides by passengers jumping both from and in front of moving trains.[15]
 
The only derailment of a Shinkansen train in passenger service occurred during the Chūetsu Earthquake on 23 October 2004. Eight of ten cars of the Toki No. 325 train on the Jōetsu Shinkansen derailed near Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka, Niigata. There were no casualties among the 154 passengers.[16] In the event of an earthquake, an earthquake detection system can bring the train to a stop very quickly. A new anti-derailment device was installed after detailed analysis of the derailment.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

I think they go fast enough where if anything runs in the tracks itll just kill it and wont fuck up the trains

[bork]

I took the bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo several times.  Five hour trip.

Then I found that I could fly there instead for just a bit more.  And it's only 45 minutes!  Sayonara, shinkansen! 

It was especially brutal taking the train back after an international flight. 

[Mr. Gundam]

I took the bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo several times.  Five hour trip.

Then I found that I could fly there instead for just a bit more.  And it's only 45 minutes!  Sayonara, shinkansen!

Yeah, we're debating whether it's a better idea to fly or take the train down to Osaka. Got plenty of time to think about it.

[Great Rumbler]

how safe are these things, generally?  They're going pretty damned fast, I have to imagine there's some very real danger there

They're actually incredibly safe [except in China].

During the Shinkansen's 48-year, nearly 7 billion-passenger history, there have been no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions, despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Injuries and a single fatality have been caused by doors closing on passengers or their belongings; attendants are employed at platforms to prevent such accidents. There have, however, been suicides by passengers jumping both from and in front of moving trains.

The only derailment of a Shinkansen train in passenger service occurred during the Chūetsu Earthquake on 23 October 2004. Eight of ten cars of the Toki No. 325 train on the Jōetsu Shinkansen derailed near Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka, Niigata. There were no casualties among the 154 passengers.[16] In the event of an earthquake, an earthquake detection system can bring the train to a stop very quickly. A new anti-derailment device was installed after detailed analysis of the derailment.

[TakingBackSunday]

too slow joe!

[Cerveza mas fina]

I traveled from Honk Kong to Amsterdam by train. Super trip.

We're going back to Japan in April 2014 for 10 days or so. Gonna visit Osaka this time, so we'll be taking the shinkansen down from Tokyo. Good times.

I got pretty drunk with a middle-aged salaryman on the Kyoto-Tokyo train back on our honeymoon. Wife was asleep and the guy sitting across had a big grocery bag full of Asahi that he was willing to share.

Bullet trains are fucking awesome.  I get out of the airport in Paris and I'm in the South of France in like 3 hours?  Awesome.

Yeah. Back when I was in high school, we met my Dad at Schipol, went downstairs and hopped on the TGV to Paris. Pretty incredible.

Thats the thing, trains are social places. Love em.

Plus the sound of a train moving is soothing and makes you dream of adventure when youre trying to fall asleep in the tiny bunk bed.

[Rman]

I loved taking trains throughout Europe when backpacking.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Trains in India are are horrible though. Rats, roaches, chai peddlers in the middle of the night

[Mr. Gundam]

I loved taking trains throughout Europe when backpacking.

Yep, it's fantastic.

I had a friend who went to Italy last year with his wife. He wanted to rent a car for their entire two week trip, but all of us who had ever actually been to Europe before told him that it was probably a bad idea and that they should just take the trains and maybe rent a car for a day to see certain things you couldn't access otherwise. Both of them scoffed at us and got really defensive about the advice.

They ended up apparently having a miserable vacation.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Driving a lot in a foreign location on a tight time schedule before sat nav days = bad time

Oh this was last year

[Shadow Mod]

Cali one is such a boondoggle. Also building a half billion dollar one just to go from bart to the OAK airport. Half a billion when shuttles do it no problem. The priorities.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

America doesn't really build much of anything anymore, especially something as ambitious as high speed rail.  We just drive existing infrastructure into the ground and when it comes time to fix that infrastructure, we lease it for an obscenely low value to some shadowy international bank group because we're too broke to fix it.

[Oblivion]

Trains in India are are horrible though. Rats, roaches, chai peddlers in the middle of the night

That's cause India is horrible.

[chronovore]

I wanna jump on a bullet train in Dallas and then be in New York City three hours later. That's possible with bullet trains, right? At least, I choose to believe it is.

Why would anyone try to build a train line into Texas? Federal assistance would be required for such a line, and they keep threatening to secede, and I keep hoping they will. Annexico!

[Cerveza mas fina]

I traveled from Honk Kong to Amsterdam by train. Super trip.

Hong Kong - Shanghai - Beijing - Ulaan Batar - Irkutsk - Moscow - some European city - Amsterdam?

Trains in India are are horrible though. Rats, roaches, chai peddlers in the middle of the night

But you can travel halfway across the country on a tiny bunk for like $5. You just have to lie on your side, spoon with your bag, and be a very light sleeper.

Shenzen - xian - urumqi - astana - moscow - brest - warsaw - berlin - amsterdam

Yeah im a unique snowflake

[Cerveza mas fina]

You can get the kazak visa in urumqi, that region is pretty cool to hang out anyway.

I want to do the classic route one day to see irkutsk and then get off in ulan bataar, but that aint gonna happen any time soon.

#girls

[chronovore]

I spent most of last year in the SF/Bay Area in California and, as much as I liked being "home," I sure missed the Japanese trains.

Next month I'll be taking the shinkansen down to Kyushu, and there onto local trains. My friend wants to rent a car, and I see the advantage of it, but I would rather sit on trains and see the sights from a passenger seat.

[brawndolicious]

I loved taking trains throughout Europe when backpacking.

Yep, it's fantastic.

I had a friend who went to Italy last year with his wife. He wanted to rent a car for their entire two week trip, but all of us who had ever actually been to Europe before told him that it was probably a bad idea and that they should just take the trains and maybe rent a car for a day to see certain things you couldn't access otherwise. Both of them scoffed at us and got really defensive about the advice.

They ended up apparently having a miserable vacation.

No, cars are still a little more convenient for getting around as long as wherever you're going to has parking. A gps device is also necessary since euroland has such a different road system within the cities.

I can see some drivers hating to drive in Italy just because of how crazy Italian drivers are though.

[Himu]

BECAUSE CARS! WOO! LET'S USE UP ALL OUR FOSSIL FUEL