Crossposted at Swords Crossed.
The French and the Japanese have really kicked our butts for a long time when it comes to train travel.
A French TGV train set a new world speed record as it hurtled down a newly built track at 574.8 kilometres (357 miles) per hour in the country's Champagne region on Tuesday.
The train, called V150, is an enhanced version of the passenger vehicle that will run on the Paris-to-Strasbourg line from June 2007. It has been preparing for the record run for weeks and carried journalists and other guests for the official attempt.
The V150 was made up of two normal cars, which will run on the eastern TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) track, three special double-decker carriages, and three motorised cars. The train can develop over 25,000 horsepower – twice that of a conventional TGV – and uses 30,000 volt overhead cables rather than the normal 25,000 volts. The V150 also has larger wheels than regular TGV trains.
What I'd to know is why there is no high-speed rail service in the United States. This country, with its vast distances between major cities, seems like the perfect place for it.
Is it because we are so addicted to automobiles? Is it because we like taking off our shoes at the airport and having our shampoo bottles confiscated?
If you had to go from New York to Los Angeles and could choose between a plane and a high-speed train, which would you take?
Obviously, if such a system is going to become reality, it will have to be built by the government. It will take an effort similar to that which created the interstate highway system.
So here is my proposal --
- The federal government builds the rail lines and finances it with a tax on gasoline of 15 cents (each penny of gas tax nationwide raises about $1 billion a year) and airline tickets.
- The government then sells licenses to companies that wish to operate trains on the lines. License fees are used to expand and maintain the system.
- The government would not be in the business of operating trains. Amtrak would be eliminated once high-speed rail is in place in those places where Amtrak currently runs.
What do y'all think?