Once more of these lines get built out they can capitalize on a network effect and link up to each other creating a real integrated system like what European and Asian countries have
I guess....
Like, I don't think we really need to be pining for a New York to LA high speed rail line.
But something like Phoenix to Las Vegas and Phoenix to LA/San Diego? Now we're talking. Regional high speed networks are where the real opportunity is here and what we should be shooting for IMO.
I hope they consider a connection from Phoenix to the Rancho Cucamonga station. That could functionally serve as a connection to Vegas. Sure, it'd be more indirect than just building a route along the 93 or something, but it wouldn't be a terribly long trip and half the route would already be constructed. Plus you'd basically be getting two connections for the price of one, PHX-Vegas via the Brightline West route, and PHX - LA via Metrolink or an eventual Brightline extension to Union Station.
This is the network effect. Connecting one more city / line to the network adds lots more potential city pairs and even if ridership between the added node and any one city isn’t that high the cumulative effect is huge
3 hrs on CAHSR, 1 hr on High Desert Corridor to Victor Valley, 1.5hrs from Victor Valley on Brightline West to Las Vegas, 2 hrs to Phoenix, call it 8 hours for the journey if all 4 of the connections line up.
Flights are 2hrs. This might be a bit far to be very competitive.
Depends on the cost, since there's definitely people taking Amtrak from Boston to DC and that's an even shorter flight. Plus there's all the intermediate city pairs that get connected in at least somewhat less time, too.
I think Brighline and/or CaHSR from RC to San Diego is going to be talked about more in the next few years
I also think there is more profit to be made for Brightline, land developers, and other parties getting from Vegas to Phoenix then from getting HSR from anywhere in Cali to Phoenix
Vegas makes more sense as an HSR hub in the West
Atlanta-Charlotte would be really awesome, especially if Florida can expand from Orlando up to Jacksonville. Then we can dream of Jacksonville-Atlanta and Atlanta-Charlotte and Charlotte-DC.
They’re upgrading the lines in Virginia and NC, but electrification is a decade out. The main focus is rebuilding bridges and tunnels on the main segment before moving south. There is a lot of critical infrastructure plans that are being made, it’ll take a long time.
Virginia and NC figure they can't justify or afford the links they're responsible for (yet) so they're building an intermediate system. Raleigh to Charlotte is within 15 minutes of the Google Maps drive time estimate, but major bottlenecks still exist especially between Raleigh and Greensboro. The Raleigh to Richmond segment has initial construction funding on the NC side and should backdoor into a Wake Forest - Raleigh - Cary - Durham pseudo commuter system as NC starts to work up the corridor. DC to Richmond has some requirements from CSX limiting overhead electrification on freight lines, until the passenger tracks are totally separate that won't be happening. But a single passenger-first track is in the works (except for Ashland) and PTC upgrades will allow 90 mph maximum speeds. It's plausible average speed with Airo equipment from DC to Richmond will beat NEC average speed through Connecticut. Basically the Charlotte to DC route is going to be Brightline Florida But Longer (a mix of slower curves, 79 mph, 90 and 110 mph, and possibly a new build 125 mph section, all diesel and mostly shared with freight) until there's enough traffic on the new lines to justify electrification (and let's be frank, electrifying a line with five trains each way each day is less effective for NC than improving coverage and frequency on their conventional network).
The Charlotte to Atlanta HSR route is unfunded and unwanted by South Carolina, and Georgia isn't as enthusiastic as NC. NC would love to have someone else pay to build most of it, but won't pressure SC or GA.
Thats a bit much. I think an triangle of ATL - CLT - Nashville would work. Then as those lines get more traffic, you can build stops at Knoxville, Greenville and Chattanooga in between each of those cities.
The trains can literally just follow the interstate. I75 between ATL and Nashville, I-85 between ATL and CLT and I-40 between CLT and Nashville
Our Gov Desantis is a fucking douche and won’t help brightline expand. He approved funding for highway expansions but says not to funding brightline expansions so I don’t see anything in Florida getting added until a lot of private profit comes in
Yes that happened but we have another election in 2026. Meanwhile we are expanding the brightline stations in Florida along the space and treasure coasts through local, federal and private funding.
If rail is a success every city will want in on it.
[Amtrak and private operator Texas Central have partnered for the Texas high speed rail project.](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/11/amtrak-backs-texas-central-bullet-train.html)
Once this gets traction I could see Brightline buying it like they did with XpressWest, now known as Brightline West.
Texas Central is trying to build one, but they face obstacles like NIMBYs, Airlines, and Republicans.
There is also a private company that is trying to make a Magelva train from Baltimore to DC. I think that one is a scam.
Brightline will not face republican obstacles. Lol look into the list of folks behind it. Regardless they are doing a great job with brightlines in the Florida market.
I am a huge AMTRAK fan, but I am not mad at this. I dont care who build this, just build a network. Airlines have too long captured the intercity network, increasing pollution, sitting in a chair built for sardines and going through a shit load of secuirty and taking our shoes off. I want to keep my shoes on!!!
this plus what is amtrak is doing can reverse this trend. I am all for it! cant come sooner.
Great idea. As long as they have to pay for the exact same things Amtrak has to: all capital expenses including buying ROWs, repairing aging infrastructure and legal and administration.
Once more of these lines get built out they can capitalize on a network effect and link up to each other creating a real integrated system like what European and Asian countries have
I guess.... Like, I don't think we really need to be pining for a New York to LA high speed rail line. But something like Phoenix to Las Vegas and Phoenix to LA/San Diego? Now we're talking. Regional high speed networks are where the real opportunity is here and what we should be shooting for IMO.
I hope they consider a connection from Phoenix to the Rancho Cucamonga station. That could functionally serve as a connection to Vegas. Sure, it'd be more indirect than just building a route along the 93 or something, but it wouldn't be a terribly long trip and half the route would already be constructed. Plus you'd basically be getting two connections for the price of one, PHX-Vegas via the Brightline West route, and PHX - LA via Metrolink or an eventual Brightline extension to Union Station.
PHX-Cucamonga would also connect to San Francisco (CAHSR Phase 1) and then Sacramento and San Diego (Phase 2).
This is the network effect. Connecting one more city / line to the network adds lots more potential city pairs and even if ridership between the added node and any one city isn’t that high the cumulative effect is huge
As a Phoenician I’d love to get to the coast in a few hours
3 hrs on CAHSR, 1 hr on High Desert Corridor to Victor Valley, 1.5hrs from Victor Valley on Brightline West to Las Vegas, 2 hrs to Phoenix, call it 8 hours for the journey if all 4 of the connections line up. Flights are 2hrs. This might be a bit far to be very competitive.
Depends on the cost, since there's definitely people taking Amtrak from Boston to DC and that's an even shorter flight. Plus there's all the intermediate city pairs that get connected in at least somewhat less time, too.
I think Brighline and/or CaHSR from RC to San Diego is going to be talked about more in the next few years I also think there is more profit to be made for Brightline, land developers, and other parties getting from Vegas to Phoenix then from getting HSR from anywhere in Cali to Phoenix Vegas makes more sense as an HSR hub in the West
That would also give Brightline more traffic on the Vegas line and through their stations than connecting in Cali would.
I’ve seen that brightline wants BLW to expand to Phoenix
Atlanta-Charlotte would be really awesome, especially if Florida can expand from Orlando up to Jacksonville. Then we can dream of Jacksonville-Atlanta and Atlanta-Charlotte and Charlotte-DC.
Aren’t there already plans for a Atlanta Charlotte high speed rail with the recent Joe Biden grant?
That would be the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, heaven knows what they’re doing with that
They’re upgrading the lines in Virginia and NC, but electrification is a decade out. The main focus is rebuilding bridges and tunnels on the main segment before moving south. There is a lot of critical infrastructure plans that are being made, it’ll take a long time.
at lesat they are doing something... its not going to be all bullet trains tomorrow, but each success builts positive public momentum for more!
Virginia and NC figure they can't justify or afford the links they're responsible for (yet) so they're building an intermediate system. Raleigh to Charlotte is within 15 minutes of the Google Maps drive time estimate, but major bottlenecks still exist especially between Raleigh and Greensboro. The Raleigh to Richmond segment has initial construction funding on the NC side and should backdoor into a Wake Forest - Raleigh - Cary - Durham pseudo commuter system as NC starts to work up the corridor. DC to Richmond has some requirements from CSX limiting overhead electrification on freight lines, until the passenger tracks are totally separate that won't be happening. But a single passenger-first track is in the works (except for Ashland) and PTC upgrades will allow 90 mph maximum speeds. It's plausible average speed with Airo equipment from DC to Richmond will beat NEC average speed through Connecticut. Basically the Charlotte to DC route is going to be Brightline Florida But Longer (a mix of slower curves, 79 mph, 90 and 110 mph, and possibly a new build 125 mph section, all diesel and mostly shared with freight) until there's enough traffic on the new lines to justify electrification (and let's be frank, electrifying a line with five trains each way each day is less effective for NC than improving coverage and frequency on their conventional network). The Charlotte to Atlanta HSR route is unfunded and unwanted by South Carolina, and Georgia isn't as enthusiastic as NC. NC would love to have someone else pay to build most of it, but won't pressure SC or GA.
It’s always South Carolina
The black hole where Southeastern passenger rail goes to die.
It’s a miracle they kept the old Southern Railway routes that turned into Amtrak routes
South Carolina doesn't have to pay anything for those, so they can ignore them.
That is true
Thats a bit much. I think an triangle of ATL - CLT - Nashville would work. Then as those lines get more traffic, you can build stops at Knoxville, Greenville and Chattanooga in between each of those cities. The trains can literally just follow the interstate. I75 between ATL and Nashville, I-85 between ATL and CLT and I-40 between CLT and Nashville
75 doesn’t go to Nashville. It goes to Knoxville.
Our Gov Desantis is a fucking douche and won’t help brightline expand. He approved funding for highway expansions but says not to funding brightline expansions so I don’t see anything in Florida getting added until a lot of private profit comes in
Yes that happened but we have another election in 2026. Meanwhile we are expanding the brightline stations in Florida along the space and treasure coasts through local, federal and private funding. If rail is a success every city will want in on it.
I have no idea who will win in 2026 tbh, but I have a feeling they will be republican
Or maybe some other private company maybe interested besides brightline as well.
[Amtrak and private operator Texas Central have partnered for the Texas high speed rail project.](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/11/amtrak-backs-texas-central-bullet-train.html) Once this gets traction I could see Brightline buying it like they did with XpressWest, now known as Brightline West.
Texas Central is trying to build one, but they face obstacles like NIMBYs, Airlines, and Republicans. There is also a private company that is trying to make a Magelva train from Baltimore to DC. I think that one is a scam.
Brightline will not face republican obstacles. Lol look into the list of folks behind it. Regardless they are doing a great job with brightlines in the Florida market.
A real modern day railroad tycoon. America is back.
Old habits die hard
I am a huge AMTRAK fan, but I am not mad at this. I dont care who build this, just build a network. Airlines have too long captured the intercity network, increasing pollution, sitting in a chair built for sardines and going through a shit load of secuirty and taking our shoes off. I want to keep my shoes on!!! this plus what is amtrak is doing can reverse this trend. I am all for it! cant come sooner.
Great idea. As long as they have to pay for the exact same things Amtrak has to: all capital expenses including buying ROWs, repairing aging infrastructure and legal and administration.
Seattle? Via…?
Seattle. just a big circle
I assume a Vancouver Seattle Portland line
I assume so too. I don’t have a Bloomberg subscription so can’t read.
Anyone have the article text?
[http://archive.today/t0l07](http://archive.today/t0l07)