> The end result is that in the US high-speed rail is impossible to build, and it would operate on average at far less than the maximum speed. > Acela on the N

> The end result is that in the US high-speed rail is impossible to build, and it would operate on average at far less than the maximum speed. > Acela on the Northeast Corridor is about as fast as it will get. None of this is true—you’re just assuming it. HSR stations in smaller cities exist everywhere in the world—the way you make it work is that not every train stops at every small station. It’s not that hard. The way you avoid slow zones is usually by keeping HSR out of the center of small cities, and having the station on the outskirts. Unfortunately CA HSR has mostly failed to do this, but it can absolutely be done elsewhere in America. And it’s not a problem unique to America at all! Even countries with excellent HSR like Italy have slower sections in major cities. It’s not a dealbreaker as long as you only do it where necessary. Again, absolutely nothing you mentioned is unique to the US. Nor are many cities in the US actually too far apart for HSR to beat the pants off driving and flying. Sure, isolated cities like Denver and SLC may never get HSR. But LA-SF could be done in probably 2:15 with an optimal route (and even 2:45 with the actual bad route), which totally beats a 5-hour drive or a 3.5-4 hour airport odyssey. Alon Levy is an expert who has actually done the work (based on globally-proven mathematical models of ridership) instead of making vague evidence-free vibes-based assertions. [0] [1] [2] Acela is absolutely not the best the Northeast Corridor can get. Boston-DC is possible in about 3:20 with normal developed-world infrastructure. Levy again: [3] CA HSR is indeed a one-stop shop for everything that’s wrong with rail development in the US. But that doesn’t mean the answer is to curl up in the fetal position and surrender. It can and must be done right. [0] https://pedestrianobservations.com/2022/12/22/midwestern-urban-geography-and-high-speed-rail/ https://pedestrianobservations.com/2022/12/22/midwestern-urb... [1] https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/12/20/metcalfes-law-for-high-speed-rail-redux/ https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/12/20/metcalfes-law-... [2] https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/02/13/metcalfes-law-for-high-speed-rail/ https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/02/13/metcalfes-law-... [3] https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/04/29/some-notes-about-northeast-corridor-high-speed-rail/ https://pedestrianobservations.com/2020/04/29/some-notes-abo...