4 ms·
This is a very good article. It's interesting to see why HSR costs so much. For those TLDR. HSR fails cost/benefit analysis. The paragraph is very good : "By
by sien 4y ago
This is a very good article. It's interesting to see why HSR costs so much.
For those TLDR. HSR fails cost/benefit analysis.
The paragraph is very good :
"By CA HSR’s own numbers, the completed system may carry 35 million passengers per year by 2040, or 100,000 per day. This capacity could also be served by a fleet of just 40 737s (less than current LAX-SFO traffic), of which Boeing makes more than 500 per year. Bought new, this fleet would cost $3.6b, and with a lead time of, at most, a few months. Upgrades to Modesto and Bakersfield airport terminals could service the 737 for mere $10s of millions. The fleet would cost about $2.9b to operate each year, which under current airline business models can be served by fares of about $60 each way. If we operate this airline for free (no tickets!) for 40 years, the total operating costs climb to $120b, which is equivalent to CA HSR’s currently wildly unrealistic estimated construction costs."
Rail is great, for freight.
- nopenopenopeno 4y ago>HSR fails cost/benefit analysis It only fails the cost/profit analysis. The benefits are priceless when we consider the environmental impact.
- matkoniecz 4y ago>priceless not really environmental impact has limited costs, and investing to reduce environmental damage makes sense when benefits are sufficiently large for given cost
- LilBytes 4y agoYep, it's easy to calculate the cost analysis of a train. But the numbers of its benefits aren't defined or understood since environmental impact of what they replace (car creation costs, car maintainence,road build and maintainence, fuel extraction and use). What's the economic (and environmental) cost of cars where these costs aren't priced in to the value proposition?
- viraptor 4y agoEven ignoring the environmental impact, good train network is a benefit to a country. Too many people get stuck with the "train lines most be private and profitable" line of thinking.
- nopenopenopeno 4y agoThat too!
- matkoniecz 4y agoCA HSR is indictment of California, not of high-speed rail. CA HSR is uniquely badly mismanagement and operating in runaway NIMBY land.