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Often, because some entrenched interests stand in the way. Famously, NYC builds new subway tunnels very expensively, about three times more expensively than Pa

Often, because some entrenched interests stand in the way. Famously, NYC builds new subway tunnels very expensively, about three times more expensively than Paris. What stands in the way of a substantial cost reduction? Many factors, including local unions that defend their lucrative turf. The French withdrew from the project of the Californian High-Speed Rail blaming total governmental dysfunction and comparing Californian public sector negatively to Morocco, where a French-built HSR actually was built successfully.

mschuster91 2y ago
Well, Morocco can hardly be called a democracy [1]. It's easier to (literally) bulldoze through obstacles when you're a kingdom looking for a fancy toy for the ruler to show off, compared to building infrastructure in a democracy. [1] https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/538683/umfrage/marokko-bewertung-nach-bti/ https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/538683/umfrag...
- inglor_cz 2y ago
  Still, plenty of democracies managed what California couldn't, and built a useful HSR network. Which in Cali would mean SF to LA, and that is probably not going to happen.
  - mschuster91 2y ago
    Many of these projects were started in times where the needs of the infrastructure had priority over local objections and environmental protection laws were not much of a thing though. There's a reason most of Europe's rail network is decades, sometimes centuries old, and there hasn't been much new construction for a loooong time.
    - inglor_cz 2y ago
      "There's a reason most of Europe's rail network is decades, sometimes centuries old, and there hasn't been much new construction for a loooong time." I beg to differ. There is quite a lot of HSR construction in Europe going on right now. Italy: Brescia-Verona, Verona-Vicenza, Vicenza-Padua, the Brenner Basis Tunnel to Austria, Turin-Lyon, Naples-Bari, Palermo-Catania-Messina France: Bordeaux-Toulouse, Lyon-Turin to Italy Spain: Murcia-Almería, the Basque Y, Burgos–Vitoria-Gasteiz, Madrid-Extremadura Austria: Koralmbahn, Semmering Basis Tunnel Germany-Denmark: Fehmarn Tunnel UK: London-Birmingham The Baltic States: Rail Baltica All in active construction right now. Some with delays, as usual.

mschuster91 2y ago

Well, Morocco can hardly be called a democracy [1]. It's easier to (literally) bulldoze through obstacles when you're a kingdom looking for a fancy toy for the ruler to show off, compared to building infrastructure in a democracy. [1] https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/538683/umfrage/marokko-bewertung-nach-bti/ https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/538683/umfrag...

inglor_cz 2y ago
Still, plenty of democracies managed what California couldn't, and built a useful HSR network. Which in Cali would mean SF to LA, and that is probably not going to happen.
- mschuster91 2y ago
  Many of these projects were started in times where the needs of the infrastructure had priority over local objections and environmental protection laws were not much of a thing though. There's a reason most of Europe's rail network is decades, sometimes centuries old, and there hasn't been much new construction for a loooong time.
  - inglor_cz 2y ago
    "There's a reason most of Europe's rail network is decades, sometimes centuries old, and there hasn't been much new construction for a loooong time." I beg to differ. There is quite a lot of HSR construction in Europe going on right now. Italy: Brescia-Verona, Verona-Vicenza, Vicenza-Padua, the Brenner Basis Tunnel to Austria, Turin-Lyon, Naples-Bari, Palermo-Catania-Messina France: Bordeaux-Toulouse, Lyon-Turin to Italy Spain: Murcia-Almería, the Basque Y, Burgos–Vitoria-Gasteiz, Madrid-Extremadura Austria: Koralmbahn, Semmering Basis Tunnel Germany-Denmark: Fehmarn Tunnel UK: London-Birmingham The Baltic States: Rail Baltica All in active construction right now. Some with delays, as usual.