5 ms·

I know it would be attacked politically, but I wish in the US we would be more open to hiring foreign firms for these kinds of projects. Could we have high-spee

by abeppu 1y ago

I know it would be attacked politically, but I wish in the US we would be more open to hiring foreign firms for these kinds of projects. Could we have high-speed rail if we just asked some French or Japanese company to build it for us? And we should structure contracts with them in a way that keeps the plans from being changed for political reasons. "Sorry state senator, we can't alter the route to pass through that town without re-opening negotiations which might cost billions."

leakycap 1y ago
> Could we have high-speed rail if we just asked some French or Japanese company to build it for us? No. Please see SNCF (French rail company)'s involvement in California's high speed rail project. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-rail-politics.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-... October 9, 2022 "How California's Bullet Train Went Off the Rails" The (foreign) company's recommendations [...] were cast aside, said Dan McNamara, a career project manager for SNCF
- mitthrowaway2 1y ago
  So I guess we have to not only hire the foreign companies, but also listen to them.
  - leakycap 1y ago
    I think the lesson here might be to solve your problems on a more local scale, as the fit of the solution is as important as checking the boxes. What works in Japan works in Japan because it was a solution built for the problems, politics, and people of Japan. Sometimes there are lessons we can take from projects in other countries, other times it turns out like Cali HSR where the proposed 'foreign' solution might be logical but not politically tenable.
LargeWu 1y ago
The problem isn't physically building the rail, the problem is the legal framework in which governments operate in. Multiple rounds of environmental impact statements, eminent domain lawsuits, preferred contractor RFP's, zoning, permitting, endless red tape...

by abeppu 1y ago

leakycap 1y ago

> Could we have high-speed rail if we just asked some French or Japanese company to build it for us? No. Please see SNCF (French rail company)'s involvement in California's high speed rail project. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-rail-politics.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/us/california-high-speed-... October 9, 2022 "How California's Bullet Train Went Off the Rails" The (foreign) company's recommendations [...] were cast aside, said Dan McNamara, a career project manager for SNCF

mitthrowaway2 1y ago
So I guess we have to not only hire the foreign companies, but also listen to them.
- leakycap 1y ago
  I think the lesson here might be to solve your problems on a more local scale, as the fit of the solution is as important as checking the boxes. What works in Japan works in Japan because it was a solution built for the problems, politics, and people of Japan. Sometimes there are lessons we can take from projects in other countries, other times it turns out like Cali HSR where the proposed 'foreign' solution might be logical but not politically tenable.

LargeWu 1y ago

The problem isn't physically building the rail, the problem is the legal framework in which governments operate in. Multiple rounds of environmental impact statements, eminent domain lawsuits, preferred contractor RFP's, zoning, permitting, endless red tape...