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Article mentions Japanese trains. Once a slightly fast train exists that can do the distance in less than four hours, it will kill the airlines and change the m
by softgrow 3y ago
Article mentions Japanese trains. Once a slightly fast train exists that can do the distance in less than four hours, it will kill the airlines and change the market entirely. (Experience of JR East in expanding services to new markets, 4-5 hours is the max distance Shinkansen out-competes air). Shinkansen have killed sleeper trains in Japan, whenever its built it will kill a service like this.
- lxm 3y agoIn Japan a central station is within a hub of business and retail activity. In LA the central station is next to county jail and Skid Row. There’s additional expense (probably on both ends for SF-LA trip) that’s negligible in Japan to get to the final destination within the city.
- midoridensha 3y agoHaving the central station next to the jail and skid row is a political choice in CA, just like their choice to not build HSR between LA-SF. If they had enough political will to build a modern train along the length of California, they'd have enough political will to build a new train station somewhere decent. It's not even an American problem: NYC has a nice, brand-new train station right in the middle of Manhattan. The old one used to be under Madison Square Gardens and was decent and serviceable, but they recently completed a new one across the street under the old post office building, so taking a train from DC to NYC is actually a pretty decent experience. If NYC can build a really nice new Amtrak station in a desirable location, what's California's excuse?