California High-Speed Trains: Altamont Pass

[sideslide23]

13 months to go and counting.

[lilbrother45]

Never ending cash-cow......... thats hilarious.

Thats why the california high speed rail authority cannot give a straight answer on how much a ticket will cost. The tix are projected to cost way more than a flight on Southwest. The train will have to be highly subsidized by the govt. Even in the lefty paradise called CA the legislature is considering stripping funding for the CHSRA. The whole thing is gonna cost more than the big dig in Boston.

[awksedgreep]

All of you talking about returns should know this train runs on IOUs.

Perhaps you can trade your IOUs for tickets after it's built. I wouldn't count on it, however.

[gibb1991]

@awksedgreep: Actually, HSR has turned into a profitable industry. This year alone America's only HST, the Acela Express, made a profit of 129% or $41 per passenger. California's High Speed Trains go much faster and would attract an even larger market with trains departing every 5 minutes during peak hours. The system would be completely self sustainable and would actually pay itself back and then some over a few years.

[s2k997]

@gibb1991L I agree strongly with you. The important thing to remember with HSR is that it needs an enormous amount of startup capital, but the rolling stock and the infrastructure generate revenues for centuries. If allowed to start up, it'll be a practically never-ending cash-cow, just like the Intercity 125 in the UK, or France's TGV services. People will pay good rates for high quality, and once established you don't need to do much more than sit back to pay off your debts.

[stalker7d7]

@awksedgreep It's this kind of attitude that prevents forward movement.

[SPS148669]

Got to make elevated and tunnel sections like that earthqauke resistent like japan.

[rib109]

Just a dream. It was nice while it lasted.

I would support High Speed Rail if California would bother to give me my refund for State Taxes !!

[WayOvertaxed]

Well said "rib109"! I'm still waiting on my 2006 refund (filed '08).

[KEKInc]

Hmm... I'm not sure if Altamont Pass would be the best way to go to connect the Bay Area to Sacramento (or in this case, Stockton). Stockton already has a station on the Fresno-Sacramento line. They should have made the proposed line follow I-80, rather than I-580. There's already trackage following I-80 with plenty of room to add more trackage, so they don't have to spend money for a tunnel.

[mugshotesp]

Prop 1A PASSED

[kattterina]

-heavy sigh- IF ONLY :(

[DaaYay]

Support your nearest High Speed Rail projects: (Remove/close spaces) bwmaglev (dot) com cahighspeedrail (dot) com calmaglev (dot) org fra (dot) dot (dot) gov/us/content/661 floridahighspeedrail (dot) org indianahighspeedrail (dot) org midwesthsr (dot) org thsrtc (dot) com dot (dot) wisconsin. gov/projects/d1/hsrail/ sehsr (dot) org