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> * Imagine taking a train from LA to NYC in 30 hours.* Who is the customer for that ticket?

defrost 2y ago
People who can't spare 72 hours to travel on The Ghan ? Long train journeys are a thing for some- with a private car there's also the appeal of views out the window while working on a script | program | report and having a car on a transport flat behind. Not for everyone, but there are customers.
- ffgjgf1 2y ago
  > Not for everyone, but there are customers. A tiny, insignificant number which could never justify the cost
  - defrost 2y ago
    That wasn't the question though, was it?
    - ffgjgf1 2y ago
      it was, if we pay attention to the context and phrasing
shrubble 2y ago
I have flown from Pensacola to Rochester, MN and it basically takes almost a day with plane changes, delays etc. 1000 miles distance. With a delayed flight it was 17 hours, I could almost have driven that distance by car in the same elapsed time. With security and other hassles you basically burn a day in flight; so 30 hours NY/LA and being able to sleep, have high speed Internet, make normal phone calls, move around a bit, and eat (hopefully) normal food would not really cost any more time.
- parineum 2y ago
  You're comparing the worst case scenario of flying to the best case scenario of HSR and the flight is still better. How long is that train ride going to take when a guy kills himself on the track?
999900000999 2y ago
People who'd like to go from NYC to Chicago in 10. Denver to LA in 15. I largely hate flying even though I've accepted it's the only way to travel overseas. I'd love to take the full 30 hour train ride vs the 70 it takes now
Someone 2y ago
Reading https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-JFK https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-JFK, https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-EWR https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-EWR and https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-BUF https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-BUF there are about 40 direct flights on that route every day. I guess that’s about 4,000-ish people. That probably is not enough to make a train line profitable (they have larger capacity than airplanes, and you’d need fairly frequent service) Luckily, as the crow flies, it is about 4,000 km from LA to NY, so a train route connecting population centers would probably be about 6,000. With a fast train (300+ km/hour top speed), the target of 30 hours will allow for some stops. That will increase demand, with most passengers doing only part of the route.
- parineum 2y ago
  You're going to have to scale that number down significantly to the people willing to take a 30 hour train ride instead of a 6 hour flight.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    Not NYC to LA but BOS to SF route is something I used to do maybe half a dozen times a year. I might have done a 30 hour train trip once if such a thing existed though probably I’d want a sleeper for the experience. But otherwise I’d fly.

People who can't spare 72 hours to travel on The Ghan ? Long train journeys are a thing for some- with a private car there's also the appeal of views out the window while working on a script | program | report and having a car on a transport flat behind. Not for everyone, but there are customers.

ffgjgf1 2y ago
> Not for everyone, but there are customers. A tiny, insignificant number which could never justify the cost
- defrost 2y ago
  That wasn't the question though, was it?
  - ffgjgf1 2y ago
    it was, if we pay attention to the context and phrasing

shrubble 2y ago

I have flown from Pensacola to Rochester, MN and it basically takes almost a day with plane changes, delays etc. 1000 miles distance. With a delayed flight it was 17 hours, I could almost have driven that distance by car in the same elapsed time. With security and other hassles you basically burn a day in flight; so 30 hours NY/LA and being able to sleep, have high speed Internet, make normal phone calls, move around a bit, and eat (hopefully) normal food would not really cost any more time.

parineum 2y ago
You're comparing the worst case scenario of flying to the best case scenario of HSR and the flight is still better. How long is that train ride going to take when a guy kills himself on the track?

999900000999 2y ago

People who'd like to go from NYC to Chicago in 10. Denver to LA in 15. I largely hate flying even though I've accepted it's the only way to travel overseas. I'd love to take the full 30 hour train ride vs the 70 it takes now

Someone 2y ago

Reading https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-JFK https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-JFK, https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-EWR https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-EWR and https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-BUF https://www.flightsfrom.com/LAX-BUF there are about 40 direct flights on that route every day. I guess that’s about 4,000-ish people. That probably is not enough to make a train line profitable (they have larger capacity than airplanes, and you’d need fairly frequent service) Luckily, as the crow flies, it is about 4,000 km from LA to NY, so a train route connecting population centers would probably be about 6,000. With a fast train (300+ km/hour top speed), the target of 30 hours will allow for some stops. That will increase demand, with most passengers doing only part of the route.

parineum 2y ago
You're going to have to scale that number down significantly to the people willing to take a 30 hour train ride instead of a 6 hour flight.
- ghaff 2y ago
  Not NYC to LA but BOS to SF route is something I used to do maybe half a dozen times a year. I might have done a 30 hour train trip once if such a thing existed though probably I’d want a sleeper for the experience. But otherwise I’d fly.