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What I’m curious of is why we haven’t yet tried contracting the companies responsible for Japan’s train system and just letting them run the show, with our only

What I’m curious of is why we haven’t yet tried contracting the companies responsible for Japan’s train system and just letting them run the show, with our only responsibility being acquiring the required land and clearing associated political hurdles. I’m sure Japan would be willing to lend a hand and they may even be able to do it for less time and money than domestic companies could.

SomeOldThrow 7y ago
I understand the issue to be dealing with three or four layers of government in each municipality as well as sourcing labor—not engineering competence.
tdhoot 7y ago
Chinese and Japanese companies were filling to partially fund HSR in the US since it would open markets for their trainsets, but they all backed out because the US imposed "buy American" requirements that would make it impossible for them to use their trains.
- fooblitzky 7y ago
  Aren't those "buy American" requirements illegal under the WTO?
samlevine 7y ago
My understanding is that the French offered to build out HSR along I-5 between SF and LA during the Great Recession and California said they could do a better job for less money.
- 1024core 7y ago
  Yes, I believe it was Thalys with a proposal to build the train for $55B, and no further government subsidies! But that would not have helped the Californian politicians line their pockets, so that proposal was rejected.
- masonic 7y ago
  But that wouldn't have rewarded public sector unions, which was the whole point of the project.
ip26 7y ago
Infrastructure is the textbook example of pork barrel spending. i.e. each voting representative says, "I will only approve this project if <widget> is sourced from my district".
0xffff2 7y ago
It seems like the overwhelming majority of delays stem from legal issues. We would need to borrow Japan or China's legal system, not their rail companies.

SomeOldThrow 7y ago

I understand the issue to be dealing with three or four layers of government in each municipality as well as sourcing labor—not engineering competence.

tdhoot 7y ago

Chinese and Japanese companies were filling to partially fund HSR in the US since it would open markets for their trainsets, but they all backed out because the US imposed "buy American" requirements that would make it impossible for them to use their trains.

fooblitzky 7y ago
Aren't those "buy American" requirements illegal under the WTO?

samlevine 7y ago

My understanding is that the French offered to build out HSR along I-5 between SF and LA during the Great Recession and California said they could do a better job for less money.

1024core 7y ago
Yes, I believe it was Thalys with a proposal to build the train for $55B, and no further government subsidies! But that would not have helped the Californian politicians line their pockets, so that proposal was rejected.
masonic 7y ago
But that wouldn't have rewarded public sector unions, which was the whole point of the project.

ip26 7y ago

Infrastructure is the textbook example of pork barrel spending. i.e. each voting representative says, "I will only approve this project if <widget> is sourced from my district".

0xffff2 7y ago

It seems like the overwhelming majority of delays stem from legal issues. We would need to borrow Japan or China's legal system, not their rail companies.