cost is a good point, i didn't know that. maybe a realistic goal would be a direct train to chicago from birmingham. it doesn't have to be high speed. i just lo

cost is a good point, i didn't know that. maybe a realistic goal would be a direct train to chicago from birmingham. it doesn't have to be high speed. i just looked it up again, and it would take 40 hours. the route would go through atlanta to virginia and then it heads towards illinois. there is currently no amtrak from birmingham to nashville. the only way is via bus. obviously the south is very car-centric but that's a legacy of the infrastructure we built in the past. i don't see why we can't try to build infrastructure with a bigger emphasis on better public transit (primarily trains) rather than automobiles, so we can have that legacy in the future. idk if the terrorist concern is a strong argument? you could make the same argument against planes. and how would an extremist with a rifle shut down a train? what is stopping them from doing that on a backed up, slow moving interstate highway, today? that seems easier to hit than a high speed train. have you ever shot a gun at a moving target? extremists with rifles are already, in 2022, a bigger risk in public spaces like churches and restaurants and malls and town squares and schools.