Note, after the graphic stops, you can pick the completion years (2015, 2020, 2025, & 2030) by clicking the year at the bottom-right of the first map.
Some thoughts:
If you look at the 2030 map, you see HSR from Sacramento to Salt Lake city. I don't see how you can have a high-speed route through the Sierras. Maybe if the majority of the route is high-speed, it's still considered a HSR route.
Note the gray routes (110 mph) on the map just below the 1st map, throughout Northwestern states such as Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, and Idaho.
The 2030 map shows HSR from San Diego to Seattle. If that ever comes about, could there be daytime roomettes or even sleepers available on the HSR train?
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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This really seems pretty pie-in-the-sky to me. I don't believe that everything put forward here will happen...... and that which does happen will not happen in the time frame proposed here.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I also think much of it is wishful thinking.
I wonder if we will see the initial, 2015, phase of development for the Chicago hub (Minneapolis, Milwaukee,Chicago, Indy, St. Louis, & Toledo). I will let others comment as I an not cognizant of what's going on in that section of the country.
I'm not even sure if the Calif. HSR will ever be completed from LA to SF & Sacramento. Gov. Brown is trying to get China to help finance the project.
I noticed that the Albuquerque to Denver HSR, as shown, did not include a run up to Casper, WY, which was part of the plan for the Front Range project.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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I don't know that it needs to be HSR, but based on the rapid growth of Denver light rail system, intercity service from Pueblo -Co Sprgs-Denver-Boulder-Ft. Collins seems viable.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Given that many of the regular contributors to the forum are what we can generally call "middle aged" I can't help feeling that by the time some of these plans come to fruition we will be looking down on (and hopefully not up at!) them.
Posts: 395 | From: england | Registered: Sep 2002
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What a nice way of conveying the notion, Mr. Williams, that most of us won't live to see much of this.
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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The current thinking in California, and it is relatively publically being discussed, is called "Bay to Basin", meaning from somewhere close to San Francisco, maybe as close as San Jose, and maybe not, to somewhere close to Los Angeles, at least Palmdale, but hopefully down the mountain to somewhere closer.
The last few miles on the ends are both the most expensive and the most NIMBY'ed.
If they ever make up their mind to start it, there is a good chance that people will be riding trains between Dallas and Houston before the Calif line sees either of its targeted destinations. Dallas-Houston should be one of the easiest of these things to implement as if you draw a fairly direct line you are essentially folloing the BRI route which could have been considerably faster than its historic 4 hours given the track to run it on.
As to Mr. Williams kind remarks, a goodly number of the people involved in the engineering side of these things that have any real understanding of these things other than open somebody else's cookbook and use it are looking at 60 in the rear view mirror, so if we wait very long I really don't know what sort of thing we will actually get if it does come about.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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I don't know about all of you, but the idea of being "middle aged" doesn't seem so bad right now. I feel like I'm standing on the rear platform of a fast-moving train watching it rapidly recede in the distance!
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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