5 ms·

that your name is tokio yoyo is sort of funny to me because if you look at shinkansen build/planning timelines, it is absolutely on the order of 2050 for extens

that your name is tokio yoyo is sort of funny to me because if you look at shinkansen build/planning timelines, it is absolutely on the order of 2050 for extensions. the japanese have a world-class trainsystem and it's built by putting one foot in front of the other for decades, not expecting it to be built overnight. of course, you can build it faster, but then it is more expensive. so what's the priority? it's easier to fund high speed rail projects in developed nations by long, sustained investment that is easily planned for rather than having to suddenly come up with billions of dollars and then deal with the political fallout of inevitable cost-overruns associated with rushing things.

mitthrowaway2 2y ago
(Although sometimes these projects are built overnight, between departure of night and morning trains [1]) The Hokuriku shinkansen started construction in 1989 and opened reaching Nagano by 1997, just eight years later and in time for the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Of course they've built more extensions to it since then, most recently to Fukui just last year. The Tokaido Shinkansen was on the drawing board in the late 1930s, and opened in 1964, after having been interrupted by the war and shelved for many years. A project starting today and opening in 2050 would be about that speed of development, although with the then-novel technology all being proven already one would hope things could be done a bit faster now. [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BYW4YYqG5A https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BYW4YYqG5A
renewiltord 2y ago
Indeed. In fact, though government approval was granted in Dec 1958, the Shinkansen construction started only in April 1959. And it took five years to open. To say nothing of the fact that it only covered 300 miles and had huge cost overruns of 90% so that the total cost in today’s money would be an astounding $15 billion. That line from Tokyo to Osaka needed sustained funding for a neverending half decade and wouldn’t have worked as well with just a burst of effort. By comparison, these days we have much more advanced technology so the Central Subway in SF only cost $1.9 b for the extensive 1.7 miles it covers and though construction started as late as 2012, the line was open in the blink of an eye, and passengers were riding it ten years later. Indeed, it is a triumph of our modern methods of not expecting things overnight that had this much larger and more complex project delivered so much faster. An old master carpenter I knew once used to say “Measure a thousand times, then before you cut measure another thousand times. Then cut once”. In the many decades since I’ve known him he has built a single table that IKEA would be jealous of on his own. Any time I gaze upon it I am reminded of our extensive success with rail in California through sustained careful effort, never rushing, always with focus. As the Bene Gesserit say, “Our plans are measured in centuries”
- robertlagrant 2y ago
  Thank you for this :)
- addicted 2y ago
  Well played
- throwaway2037 2y ago
  > the line was open in the blink of an eye This post is so well written, that I needed to do a double take to realise it was well-craft sarcasm. Up vote from me!

mitthrowaway2 2y ago

(Although sometimes these projects are built overnight, between departure of night and morning trains [1]) The Hokuriku shinkansen started construction in 1989 and opened reaching Nagano by 1997, just eight years later and in time for the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Of course they've built more extensions to it since then, most recently to Fukui just last year. The Tokaido Shinkansen was on the drawing board in the late 1930s, and opened in 1964, after having been interrupted by the war and shelved for many years. A project starting today and opening in 2050 would be about that speed of development, although with the then-novel technology all being proven already one would hope things could be done a bit faster now. [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BYW4YYqG5A https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BYW4YYqG5A

renewiltord 2y ago

Indeed. In fact, though government approval was granted in Dec 1958, the Shinkansen construction started only in April 1959. And it took five years to open. To say nothing of the fact that it only covered 300 miles and had huge cost overruns of 90% so that the total cost in today’s money would be an astounding $15 billion. That line from Tokyo to Osaka needed sustained funding for a neverending half decade and wouldn’t have worked as well with just a burst of effort. By comparison, these days we have much more advanced technology so the Central Subway in SF only cost $1.9 b for the extensive 1.7 miles it covers and though construction started as late as 2012, the line was open in the blink of an eye, and passengers were riding it ten years later. Indeed, it is a triumph of our modern methods of not expecting things overnight that had this much larger and more complex project delivered so much faster. An old master carpenter I knew once used to say “Measure a thousand times, then before you cut measure another thousand times. Then cut once”. In the many decades since I’ve known him he has built a single table that IKEA would be jealous of on his own. Any time I gaze upon it I am reminded of our extensive success with rail in California through sustained careful effort, never rushing, always with focus. As the Bene Gesserit say, “Our plans are measured in centuries”

robertlagrant 2y ago
Thank you for this :)
addicted 2y ago
Well played
throwaway2037 2y ago
> the line was open in the blink of an eye This post is so well written, that I needed to do a double take to realise it was well-craft sarcasm. Up vote from me!