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Obama Calling For $53B For High Speed Rail

Posted by samzenpus on from the lyle-lanley-approved dept.

Antisyzygy writes "President Obama is calling for $53B to be appropriated for the construction of high-speed rail in the United States over the next 6 years. Assuming Congress approves this plan, the funding would be spent on developing and/or improving trains that travel at approximately 250 miles/hour, as well as spent on connecting existing rail lines to new developed high speed lines."

3 of 1,026 comments (clear)

  1. Paid for? by Hatta · · Score: 1, Troll

    This is a great idea, but how is he going to pay for it?

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  2. Why do we need high speed trains? by orphiuchus · · Score: 0, Troll

    This isn't a troll, I would really like someone to explain the situations where a high speed train is better than an airplane or a car.

    The security will be just as bad as at an airport if the government runs it, especially considering that just as many trains get bombed by terrorists as airplanes. So the speed gain would only show up in a few very specific cases, like maybe LA to Vegas.

    Wouldn't we be better served either putting that 53 Billion into our roads and infrastructure? Or not spending it at all?

  3. Re:Its not the speed that is the problem. by Overunderrated · · Score: 0, Troll

    I bet that most emerging countries don't have this problem! Truly pathetic! I often tell my friends in Europe that the US is a weird mix between a 1st and a 3rd world country.

    This isn't modded troll yet?

    You're praising "emerging countries" for building superior rail lines by appropriating real estate and otherwise building where there is no existing infrastructure while the starvation and famine of their population takes a back seat?