California's High Speed Rail - KQED QUEST

[carrillobrian]

Great video and debate. For more information or to support this awesome idea go to superspeedtrain . We are just getting started and could use the interest.

[carrillobrian]

Great video and debate. For more information or to support this awesome idea go to superspeedtrain . We are just getting started and could use the interest.

[bsquadrider]

this high speed rail is ripping right through my hometown and my families' farmland, people don't realize the negative impact of this project it has on the central valley.

[FiendNCheeses]

@bsquadrider

37 million Californians are depending on this project. Fuck your family farm.

[bsquadrider]

@FiendNCheeses it's not only ours its 100's of others up and down the central valley, the more and more we destroy our farmland the pricier and more dangerous our food becomes from importing it from other countries. Agriculture is the United State's number one economic provider when it comes to income and you don't care? You know nothing about our countrie's livelihood and the farmers that are the backbone of this country,

[FiendNCheeses]

@bsquadrider

So then should I assume you're also opposed to the widening of Highway 99? It's either an 8 lane highway or high-speed rail and trains move people much more efficiently and take up less space than freeways. Somebody always has to make a sacrifice with a project of this size. Maybe it should be the people on the coast? As long as it's not you, right?

[avmsf]

two questions: what makes anyone think that HSR will be faster than air travel? I'm sure there will be long security check points before boarding that will add several hours to the length of the trip. Also, why does the San Francisco line go through to downtown SF? The added cost extending another rail line from SFO to downtown will be several billions of dollars. The HSR should end at SFO and passengers should then use BART to get to SF/Oakland.

[charliemuru]

if not now then when?procrastination is  what is killing the improvement of rail transportation in the US.am definitely for HSR.

[roaddog453]

I say yes to HSR system for America

[MaartenOtto]

The Kingdom of the Netherlands (better know as Holland) and Belgium are some of the smallest countries in Europe. And even they got High speed rail systems.

Amsterdam to Rotterdam in under 40 minutes, compared to 65 minutes via the classic system.

Amsterdam to Brussels is 1,25 hours

Rotterdam to Antwerp is 31 minutes at 300 km'h

Amsterdam to Paris is 3.10 Hours away

Amsterdam to London in under four hours when trains on this connection start running in 2014.

[azulalover97]

Why cant we ask Meg Whitman and her friends to pay for it and we can call it the Whitman railway. I am being serious and yes I am one of her supporters

[MrNathari]

USA need more nuclear reactors....to counter electricity demands and for future electric trains...an electric train alimented with electricity made with coal is a nonsense 'cause trains are supposed to be écologique.In France,we have more nuclear plants per personnes than USA have...and we continue to build nuke plants:This is the future!...It could be a méga project for USA...Thousands and thousands and thousands jobs...Love those projects it's like playing "Simcity"video game!

[Davidcervantes5633]

final USA will have 21st century transportation technology!

[amyherTHOO]

We need this in our state!

[th3gtr]

I wonder how densely they will run the system? I was just at Shizouka Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen line a week ago and a train past by the station at high speed every 4 min! And this is just one direction!

[gibb1991]

@th3gtr The trains in California are expected to depart from the terminating and originating station every five minutes at peak travel times.

[th3gtr]

@gibb1991 Awesome!

[Benjamingutierrez408]

Wait what about the rest of the states

[fixingbraincell]

is this rail project under construction already?

[MrZkr123]

I believe in order for the United States to fully get out of this recession, we need to build a high speed rail. I know it will be hard but it needs to be handled the same way FDR handled the interstate highway system.

[mrjimbeam2009]

who is going to make the trains?? japan,china,germany,france?

[AmersfoortTristan]

I am hugely in favour of high-speed train connections but when it comes to accidents they seem to conveniently leave out the most lethal accident in post-war Germany: the 1998 Eschede Disaster that killed 101 people.

[Okeihan1979]

@AmersfoortTristan

Japanese Shinkansen no passenger dead and injured in the history of 46 years,

Do you know?

One day Shinkansen's driver slept in driving Shinkansen.

Then Shinkansen automaticaly stoped at next station and no accident happened.

[AmersfoortTristan]

@Okeihan1979

That's a very good record. The Japanese only had one small accident so far a couple of years ago. Nothing serious.

[Okeihan1979]

@AmersfoortTristan

It is derailment in earthquake?

That was first accident by Shinkansen.

When strong earthquake occured Automatically Train Conrol System ran and immediately braked and stoped.

After that Shinkansen derailment a little, but no people injured.

This accident proved the safety of Shinkansen.

California is earthquake region like Japan.

I think French TGV and German ICE don't conform to California.

[AmersfoortTristan]

@Okeihan1979

Yes I was referring to that derailment. And I think that the US should look to Japan when it comes to developing a high speed network in California. For other parts of the country European ideas could work out fine because the U.S is geographically a rather diverse nation.

[Okeihan1979]

@AmersfoortTristan

Well... I don't think so about other parts of the country.

Because railway standards should be unified.

And Japanese companies know it is important to fit local circumstances.

[gibb1991]

@AmersfoortTristan But that was the worst high speed accident ever. TGV and Shinkansen have never had a fatality.

[ugotalovetang]

fuck commuter air travel, we want trains dammit

[GameandWatch19]

We already do have a high speed rail system in America, but it's all the way on the other side of the country. It's on Amtrak's "Northeast Corridor" from Washington DC to Boston. For more information, do a google search on Amtrak's "Acela Express" train.

[mikokat]

@GameandWatch19 Acela is a joke.

[gibb1991]

@GameandWatch19 And it only goes 150 mph. But it's also one of three routes on Amtrak that produce a profit.

[GameandWatch19]

@gibb1991 So what are the other 2?

[gibb1991]

@GameandWatch19 The Empire Service and Mossouri River Runner. I worded that last comment incorrectly, I should have stated that the Acela makes a profit and only two other routes don't loose money. The Empire Service and MRR moreso break even than make a profit. Of course, with newer, low cost, energy efficiant trains that aren't fossil fuel run, every train could make a profit. But the government is far too ignorant to see that from the other nations doing precisely so.

[GameandWatch19]

Not to mention lobbying from oil companies, airlines, and other special interest groups that are hindering high speed rail in America.

The guy in the video said the problem in America is we need the first HSR, and when people see and experience it for the first time in America, they'll say "Why have we waited so long?"

The purpose of my comment was to point out that we ALREADY HAVE the first one. It's just that for some reason not as many people know about it as you would think.

[april50437]

Chile,  Argentina ,and Brazil have high speed rails.

[lickmyfart]

Can't wait for this. They already have these things all over Europe and other countries. We are way behind in the bullet train department.

[TheMantisTycoon]

FlyCalifornia? Cool name but, the trains don't fly, do they?

[sideslide23]

Fly California would be a great name if it was a Maglev, they should have called it the Super Caltrain

[TheMantisTycoon]

Flycalifornia is growing on me, and Super Caltrain would only work if Caltrain ran the company.

[cismok]

Which train to be used? Japanese, French or German HST?

[merakhagen]

I laugh at those people who think USA does not need HSR. They rather keep paying money for oil to some middle eastern guys who hate us. Or getting electric cars which requires rare earth element that is 90% supply by China. Some Americans think progress is not needed and USA can still controls its own destiny; which is laughable and naive.

[malik1234123]

WHY THE DUCK BILL????????????????

[merakhagen]

Because the tunnels. If you don't have tunnels along the route, you don't need the duck bill.

[s2k997]

@merakhagen It is also to do with the width of the tunnels. The Japanese built their railway tunnels narrower than most standard gauge'd nations, thus to push the air out of the way in an effective and efficient manner, so the air slips besides the carriage and not bouncing off the walls and back into the train, the duck bill was a sticky-tape measure on the train. (a regular nose would be too sharp an angle of attack for good performance in narrow tunnels) Build the tunnels well, no problem.

[MaartenOtto]

It does work. With High Speed Rail I can make a day trip from Amsterdam to Paris. It just takes me a little over three hours to travel the 750+ kilometers. I can wake up at 6 in the morning and have Breakfast with my Girlfriend in Paris just four hours later, a time when my stomach starts telling me "hey pal... I'm empty" same for the evening. I can have diner in Paris and sleep in my own bed in the Amsterdam Sub-urbs at reacenable times. Same for traveling up to London via the Channel tunnel.

[EUROSUN1]

Bad Idea. Europe and Japan are leading in the field of high speed trains and high speed rail-networks and that should stay that way. Just as with the rise of the Euro and the slide of the Dollar. Just as with the Large Hadron Collider leading cutting edge atomic research. Just as with the biggest plane in the world the A380. Etc. etc. Americans have become followers not leaders and that should stay that way.

[Neo2012100]

rail is not the futre anymore we must find better source so that our cars can go faster on freeways

[DaaYay]

Rail is now, molecular transporters are the future.

Screw cars, they make people lazy fucks!

[Neo2012100]

you guys are all idiots your taxes will be increase significantly and europeans are tax a lot!!!! in order to have these trains

[DaaYay]

Well if Global Warming is a Hoax, then who gives a shit. Whe're still trashing this planet like a virus killing it's host. Then what do we do? Move to Mars? Think ahead, not backwards with this "I' know more than you" mentallity.

[merakhagen]

Those people think it is a hoax believe Earth should be turn into another Venus and human has no problem living in an environment where water become pressurized steam. As far as I am concerned, we should send the deniers to Venus. They will enjoy it.

[poseidoncambria]

You appear to be the "idiot" here given you don't seem to know what you're talking about. Yes the high-speed trains are expensive to build, but take a look at the facts:

Cost to expand airports and freeways to meet same demand as HSR: $80 billion

Cost of CAHSR: $45 billion

[poseidoncambria]

I don't know, but I think that NOT building this system would significantly increase our taxes; it's all in the numbers. Oh, and did I mention once built, the HSR system would turn a profit of approx. $1 billion a year? Before you go around calling all of us "idiots" search for some valid points to back your completely unintelligent assumptions.

[merakhagen]

American are already being taxed, by Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran etc. The question is, do I want to be taxed by them 5 USD/day or by USA 10 USD/day.

[th3gtr]

@Neo2012100 I don't mind paying higher taxes for it if it will eventually pay off.

[sideslide23]

If Trans continetal was able to be done, so can the high speed rail

[WayOvertaxed]

Never mind now. It's not going to happen since California is on the very edge of Bankruptcy. Because CAs congress didn't pass a proper budget, our state's credit rating will be lowered to Junk-Bond status...i.e. NO way of ever funding this project! The 'good' news is they'll STILL find a way to pay for welfare, section-8 housing, food stamps, child care, college aid, pre-K to 12 schooling, breakfast-lunch programs, prison housing, etc. etc. etc. for the 16+ MILLION ILLEGAL aliens in our state.

[yangj08]

So you're saying more than half of CaIifornia's population is illegally residing there? The money you'd have to spend to get every last one out of there could have this system built three times over, I'm sure. At that rate you might as well give the state back to Mexico. Don't want to change the flag? Bring in Puerto Rico. Or Guam.

[gofindjeff]

Passing Prop. 1A didn't mean this project will happen. All it did was give California the go-ahead to SEEK 9.95 Billion dollars in the form of bonds. The over-all project cost is predicted to be (in today's dollars) just under $50 Billion! So, even IF we could sell those bonds (which will now be Junk-bonds by the way), it'll cover less than 20% of it. Even THAT is unlikely because the value of U.S. money is falling fast due to Obama's $10,000,000,000,000 TARP debt. (Yes folks, thats13 zeros.)

[Landstalker32x]

Hi, I'm from Germany.

We have highspeed trains too.

My problem is, that go by train is very expensive in comparison to go by car. Sure, sometimes they are really fast (4 houres I spend in a train and 7 houres in my car)

But I pay 100€ for each person - in may car I usually drive with 4 persons... so we vaste only 60€ of gas. That means 15€ for each...

I'm disapointet. And the second is, that the ICE is often overcrowded. I think the US would have the same problem, because of capacity.

[th3gtr]

@Landstalker32x Sorry for the late response, but I'm curious, how much does it cost to get a driver's license in Germany?

[Landstalker32x]

@th3gtr I payed approx 750€ in 1998 but nowadays it is mayby 1200 to 1500€

[th3gtr]

@Landstalker32x It's not as much as I thought, but that's still quite expensive.

[cupwithhandles]

"That was a shock" - What???? America is not a "developing country" when it comes to rail. America is 3rd world, or worse. Taiwan built a world class subway system plus high speed trunks lines in about 15 years. China (a HUGE country) is rapidly developing urban commute, and high speed trunk lines. Japan's rail is a modern world wonder. Sadly, when I go to LA, I have to wait for someone to pick me up at the airport, or just not go.

[vietman90210]

are we, angelenos, really willing to give up our cars?

i am.

[boeing737flya]

why not just fly u go 600 knots and what about when a mayjor quake happens

[nikidizzi2]

but what about plane crashes??...you have to think positive about it..lol

[keelar001]

The Japanese seems to cope with building railways through earthquake zones - there's no reason why the US couldn't cope with the same problems.

[poelaertpieterjan]

With flying you have to be 1 hour in advance in the airport. On distances under 600 miles high speed trains are more favorable and faster if you count waiting time and check in, look at France.

[acslater017]

flying requires 1-2 hours beforehand and maybe half an hour after the flight. overall, flying from SF to LA is would be at least a 3-4 hour trip. not to mention security restrictions on your luggage.

rail would be cheaper (about $50 from what I've heard), a 2-2.5 hour trip, and one could pick up a ticket the day of the trip. It's also much less carbon-intensive.

[Modeltrainguy]

It gets better, as much as Californians want High Speed Rail...I hope it happens soon. Not JUST for California, but for America as a whole. Look at other countries that have HSR:

Japan - The size of California.

South Korea - About the same size as Minnesota.

Spain - Slightly more than twice the size of Oregon.

France - slightly less than double the size of Colorado.

Taiwan - Slightly larger than the states of Maryland & Delaware combined.

Think about it...THOUSANDS of American jobs!

[weedymacweedweed]

single biggest employer in japan is the railway company.

[cupwithhandles]

AMEN brother. You got it right. Don't forget China (BIGGER than America). China has gleeming high speed trunk lines already, plus worlds 1st operating Maglev. I live in Tokyo and haven't own a car in 6 years. If you gave me one I would sell it. Electric cars are NOT the answer, but will make the problem worse. You are 100% right about jobs. Building out and operating rail systems can employ many times more than the big 3 and all their subs ever did.

[EpiDemic117]

@Modeltrainguy Your wish has been granted! construction begins next year!!!

[ErikHartog]

@Modeltrainguy And a country that's 236 times smaller then the U.S, the Netherlands ! :D

[Helge129]

@Modeltrainguy Spain? The Train system in general here kinda sucks.

[Modeltrainguy]

Japan, France, China, & Taiwan! THEY did it! America could have done it, too! Case in point:

The 1 Hour PBS TV Program "NOVA", highlighted that VERY plan to bring Bullet Trains to California:

"Tracking The Supertrains

While America's passenger-train service deteriorates, trains in Japan and Europe are speeding ahead at over 150 miles per hour. NOVA reports that the super-fast trains are finally coming to America.

Original broadcast date: 12/14/82

Topic: technology/engineering"

[jf1301]

this is the worst comment I have ever seen anywhere. You are either joking or retarded.

[currawongee]

lol

[gavrieltal]

That is an extremely ignorant comment. While you may take pride in being an American, you forget the scope of common sense. This train is helping your grandchildren's grandchildren have a clean, safe and economically stable environment.

And to think these are the people complaining about high gasoline prices.

And as far as being an ignoramus goes, you forgot 'more fast food', if you're proud of that too.

[georgebui101]

but equuleuspictor is from france! he's a euro sissy!

[bbukfan]

Euro sissy with a far higher standard of living than you do. If it weren't for the French, the US wouldn't exist; maybe you should thank them.

[sierracuban]

@gavrieltal I AGREE ! Most people are selfish, not thinking about the future.......High speed rail is NOT for next year, it is for 20 and 30 years from now.......In that time frame freeways will be jammed packed beyond belief....And what about the price of oil ?? In the years 2020 to 2030 a gallon of gasoline may be anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars per gallon...If you think that's ridiculous you are in denial.....In 1964 as a boy, I pumped gas in my dad's station at 23 cents per gal.

[7boon]

Heh, good luck once a gallon of gas is $10.

[MrEiriku]

@EquuleusPictor do you know that the US has one of the largesr rail networks in the world

[DaaYay]

Get educated about High Speed Rail! Visit one of the many blogs at: cahsr(dot)blogspot(dot)com

[NemesisAnother]

A train faster than an airplane huh?

[jpbalkenende]

If you take into account waiting time (which you should) HSR can be faster than air on MANY routes. Also HSR is pretty much unaffected by gas prices. The time for this project is yesterday but at least built it now.

[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

[DaaYay]

The problem is that many Californians don't know this project even exists. SPREAD THIS VIDEO, to all your friends and family members and ask them to do the same. The demand for this will be so high (especially now that dealing with Global Warming is a priority) that this thing will get funded no matter how hard Oil companies and other special intrests try to stop and suppress it!

SPREAD THIS VIDEO NOW, and people will see what an importance it is, WE NEED THIS NOW!!!!

[saveamtrak]

exactly, this needs to be spres...let people know about it

[MrEiriku]

@Neo2012100 your penis is a hoax

[rzigmu]

So where is the project right now? When exatly will its fate be decided? Is there any hope for it in the car-driven hearts of Californians?

[SierraTravel395]

We hope it passes. LA to Reno would be interesting. We love the Sierra Mountains.

[spekion]

Well it depends on the voters...make sure to VOTE FOR IT!!

[ivexcen]

I hate the I15 too~ so dry!

[dusty619]

They should build one of these to go from L.A. to Las Vegas. I hate that drive on the 15.

[djsilverstone]

(Cont-2)

Sqaaak, I am for maglev technology but that would cost twice as much. From Tokyo to Osaka will cost about 100 billion dollars.

[Sqaaak]

djsilverstone, Yes, very "expensive" in the short term, I agree; but look at the incredible patrimony this administration has squandered on senseless, needless, illegal, immoral, unjust and unjustified. If yoy wanted to destroy our Republic from within, this gang of criminals couldn't have done a better job. (Cont -1)

[Sqaaak]

djsilverstone, Ignore previous — typos! Yes, very "expensive" in the short term, I agree; but look at the incredible patrimony this administration has squandered on senseless, needless, illegal, immoral, unjust and unjustified, British oligarchy-directed imperial wars. If you wanted to destroy our Republic from within, this gang of criminals couldn't have done a better job. (Cont -1)

[Sqaaak]

(Cont-2) So, if one proceeds from the attitude that "it's too expensive", nothing ever gets done or built: that is the attitude of private corporations. But Sovereign Nations, now, are the only entities which can, through their elected governments, mandate and direct the construction of large infrastructure projects, engaging the efforts of small and medium, and well as large engineering firms, through the issuance of sovereign credit (the US is the first and unique nation to do this).

[Sqaaak]

(Cont-3) djsilverstone, For each dollar spent on the construction of a national Maglev system connecting all major cities, there will be economic benefits which, over time, cannot even be measured or counted! A single national effort of this kind will jump-start the economy, and restore that wonderful, future-oriented, can-do optimism which is the chief feature of the American character.

[Sqaaak]

(Cont-4) djsilverstone: So, if you want to count beans, it should be recalled to mind that for every dollar spent on the Apollo Project, at least ten dollars, in hard-currency terms, has been returned to the economy at large, not to mention all the other benefits which still today flow from that effort, nearly 40 (Forty) Years Later ... But this is to be measured in far grander terms than mere cash ...

[djsilverstone]

Sqaaak, you can probably built two high speed conventional train tracks near each terminal for the price of one. One is non-stop while the other halts at every major town - much better for the economy.

[Sqaaak]

djsilverstone, Yes! If I had my druthers, I would have arteries consisting of regular freeways for road traffic, with, alongside, two sets of conventional rail lines: one for local trains, one for high-speed trains; and alongside that, a double-guideway Maglev, and alongside that, waterway (canal) ... But, since Maglev is without doubt, the future, why not leapfrog?

[djsilverstone]

I see what you mean, by introducing a high tech train system, we will create new, high tech industries. Various businesses will pop up, supplying various technology and parts, creating a new, mini Silicon Valley. Compared to a conventional train system, which they will get parts from a selected dominating manufacturer, leaving out new business startups from the loop, reducing growth and creating a dumbing down of the state.

[Sqaaak]

djsilverstone, consider, if you will, that Maglev has no moving parts: no wheels; no axles; no suspension/shock-absorbers; no electric motors, transformers, or gear-transmission-to-axles, etc.  As for connventional ("steel wheels on steel rail) high-speed rail, I am a crazy train-lover, and would be very happy to see comittment to a TGV-type system (but of American Manufacture), together with Maglev, adopted as part of an FDR revival of the crumbling US economy.

[dhansel001]

They keep talking about how hard it will be to build. SOLUTION... Get Japan or France to build it. Those people have been using high speed trains for 40 years.

Are we so proud to not ask for help?

Too much debate and meetings we need someone to just DO IT!

[brentduanefoster]

For Real! Seems like we are learning about how full of ourselves we can be.

[Sqaaak]

Build a national High-Speed Rail and Maglev network connecting all major and secondary cities, industrial, agricultural and commercial centers, via a National Economic Recovery Act; a serious long-term commitment, in order to save the Republic and give it an assured and prosperous future. The alternative must not be consented to.

[theotherpianist]

heyy yeah thats a great idea

hi speed rail is awesome

ive been planning a line from vicoria-san diego

they could interconnect, ya?

[zergling6000]

i think we should just do maglev cuz it doesnt have as many negatives as electric rail, no matter how advanced

but that would help the economy and the country so much i totally agree

[djsilverstone]

Maglev sounds a bit expensive. They are even considering leaving Modesto (pop. 280K) out of the loop. "South Bay proponents wanted to ignore every valley city north of Merced..."

[Sqaaak]

(Cont-3)

I would also remind amtrc and other readers, that maglev is inherently safer, for the simple reason that there are no moving parts anywhere in the drive-system: no wheels, no axles, no suspension, no gears, no electric motors. This also drastically cuts all kinds of maintenance and repair needs.

[Sqaaak]

(Cont-2)

It may be that the way forward will be to build a network of CHSR lines connecting all major and secondary cities in the US, with maglev lines running alongside, connecting only the major cities and commercial centers. This way, all bases are covered, but to dismiss maglev as "fooie" is to ignore progress toward a far better transportation infrastructure.

[Sqaaak]

As far as I can make out, in my attempts to read his comments, it seems that amtrc disapproves of Maglev as a viable, or perhaps even a legitimate form of high-speed ground transport.

While I remain a passionate supporter of the most advanced conventional high-speed rail (CHSR) systems such as TGV, Shinkansen, ICE, and the Italian ETR series, it is clear to anyone who carefully studies the issue, that Maglev is the wave of the future. (Cont)

[pagsanhanm]

it's a high time for california to have high speed train!!!

[Sqaaak]

Way past time! — must include Maglev, a combination of TGV-type high-speed (200+ mph) conventional rail, and 270-300 mph Maglev lines, which must then, via an FDR-style rescue of the US economy, be extended across the nation — or else kiss the Republic goodbye.

[Sqaaak]

America is way behind on ALL infrastructure — worse, it's ailing and crumbling, and a danger to the people's life and limb. All because of the fake, false, fantasy-economic policies of the past 37 years, to which, add the evils of deregulation, privatization, and globalization, and you have our infrastructure ready to be taken down by the privateer vultures.

[Sqaaak]

At 6:09 — 6:15, we see footage of the Japanese experimental MagLev, which they call "Linear Motor Car" (from Linear Induction Motor). So this video, which is promoting conventional High-Speed (HS) Rail, is in error inserting that footage. It is absolutely true that the US is way behind in rail infrastructure: Robery Doty states that we're 100 years behind!

[amtrc]

if you want to get of the ground well take the jetplane if you want to fly then fly' trains can swoop on rail we dont want lifting above any rail stay fast on train

[spekion]

Japan, a land with frequent seismic activities has maintained high speed rail for a while, so why not California.

[amtrc]

fooie on maglevel take the jet. but keep highspeed rail on track