California’s Bullet Train: What Are We Doing Wrong?
Published |Updated
William D. Fletcher
During a recent trip to Japan, I had several opportunities to ride its bullet train, the Shinkansen. The rides were smooth, quiet and comfortable, a great way to travel between cities.
The Shinkansen was developed in the 1970s and now includes about 1,800 miles of track connecting major cities in Japan. The Shinkansen travels at 200 miles per hour. The next generation, expected by 2030, will travel even faster. The Shinkansen is part of a well-integrated train system that includes local trains that run on frequent schedules covering most of Japan.
If Japan, China and France can have cost-effective high-speed rail systems, why not the U.S.?
China and California started their high-speed rail system about the same time, around 2008. China now has about 26,000 miles of high-speed rail connecting 180 cities. In comparison, California does not have a single mile of useable track.
As a resident of California, I’m aware of the state’s High-Speed Rail project. It’s over budget by billions of dollars, way behind schedule and funding to complete the project may never be available. Why is California in this situation when other countries already have well-developed systems that we could have copied? In 2008, we could have contracted with or joint-ventured with Japanese or French organizations to build a system using their proven technology.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/california-s-bullet-train-what-are-we-doing-wrong/ar-AA1kbjpa?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=7dc124477cbf4e1389d1f2f68bdd7307&ei=67