Why The US Has No High-Speed Rail

[D24OHA]

China To Build $500 Million South American Rail Line

The deal, awarded to China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), includes a 38-mile freight and passenger rail line connecting Santiago and Melipilla. Chilean officials said the project, once completed, would transport up to 60 million passengers annually and reduce commute times to just 25 minutes between the two cities. It is expected to be completed within six years.

By Theo Burman
September 15, 2025

China to build $500 million South American rail line

The project's contract includes the development of nine stations, a maintenance center, 12 viaducts, and seven pedestrian crossings.

www.newsweek.com

…The $500 million railway contract, won by CRCC subsidiary China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, marks the latest chapter in China's Belt and Road Initiative strategy to invest in infrastructure across developing nations.

It also reflects the deepening economic relationship between China and South America, particularly as Chinese companies seek to diversify trade routes and secure access to commodities such as copper and lithium...

China playing the long game.....

Invest $500 - $600 million now for Billions later.

China has a technological/ manufacturing foothold in the US, but its building a financial one across the globe.

It'll be hard for South America to turn against China with part of their transportation/ economic backbone dependent upon them.

And then the Chinese Canal thats going to usurp the Panama Canal and make global trade times shorter......... they are taking full advantage of the US being in chaos and distracted by itself.

A President that's globally minded or with a moderate attention span could see what's happening and what's at stake for the future.

However, Drumpf is only concerned with himself and enriching his friends/ family as much as possible with the time he has left and the future of the US be damned if it gets in his way.

 

[blackbull1970]

Is This The ‘Deadliest’ Train In America?
October 10, 2025

According to a joint Miami Herald / WLRN investigation, the Brightline passenger train in Florida has been linked to over 180 deaths since its launch in 2017. Brightline has not been found at fault for any of the deaths on the tracks. In a statement to INSIDE EDITION, Brightline says, although tragic, all of those fatal train strikes were preventable and "the result of illegal, deliberate behavior by people putting themselves in harm’s way."

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[bham_brotha]

The problem with brightline is, unlike high speed rail in Asia or Europe, they went cheap and built their line with railroad crossings. That was never a good idea. At crossings, you either need a bridge or a tunnel for the traffic or the train. They're also struggling financially so who knows if it'll even still be open by the time 2028 gets here. They were betting on making their money off of the real estate surrounding their stations from property that they own but it hasn't panned out that way. Other countries use government funding for rail for the most part and without that, a private company isn't going to take losses for long before they say damn this.

 

[D24OHA]

The problem with brightline is, unlike high speed rail in Asia or Europe, they went cheap and built their line with railroad crossings. That was never a good idea. At crossings, you either need a bridge or a tunnel for the traffic or the train. They're also struggling financially so who knows if it'll even still be open by the time 2028 gets here. They were betting on making their money off of the real estate surrounding their stations from property that they own but it hasn't panned out that way. Other countries use government funding for rail for the most part and without that, a private company isn't going to take losses for long before they say damn this.

Another problem with using existing freight rail lines, aside from the traffic and reduced speed for crossings, is the curves. Because they were designed for freight cars traveling less than 60 mph, Brightline is not ever able to reach true "High Speed" status.

HSR will never happen with Republicans in power. They'd rather give the rich bigger tax cuts and strip Medicare/ Social Security than try to make HSR a true viable 3rd option for long travel.

And that is sad because a 3rd option would benefit so many industries in addition to the "common" people.

 

[HellBoy]

 

[blackbull1970]

I would think they would have a ‘Deadman Switch’ on the throttle.

Look closely and you can see the speedometer go up when she is passed out.

San Francisco Train Operator Caught Sleeping
Tells Terrified Riders: ‘We Didn’t Crash, Relax’
November 11, 2025

Wild video shows a San Francisco train driver nodding off as it accelerates to more than 50 miles per hour. The MTA driver appears slumped over in a chair when the packed two-car train hits a turn hard and nearly hits a car — jolting the driver awake as passengers screamed in fright.

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[blackbull1970]

TxDOT Unveils Plan To Expand Transit By 2050
November 10, 2025

TxDOT's new Texas Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan 2050 proposes a transformative, statewide network of expanded transportation options to handle the projected 40% population boom by 2050, even as several major North Texas cities consider withdrawing from DART.

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[blackbull1970]

Brightline West high-speed rail could transform holiday travel between Las Vegas and California by 2028

The 218-mile high-speed rail system is expected to remove 3 million cars from roadways and reduce travel time from 5.5 hours to 2 hours when it opens in 2028

By: Geneva Zoltek
Nov 27, 2025

Brightline West high-speed rail could transform holiday travel between Las Vegas and California by 2028

Brightline West high-speed rail opening in 2028 could cut Las Vegas to Southern California travel time from 5.5 hours to 2 hours, removing 3 million cars.

www.ktnv.com

 

[blackbull1970]

Number of Americans Taking the Train at Record Levels

By Amanda Greenwood
November 20, 2025

Number of Americans taking the train at record levels

More than 34 million passengers rode an Amtrak train in the fiscal year 2025.

www.newsweek.com

A record-breaking 34.5 million people have traveled on an Amtrak train in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), which is over 5 percent more than last year, which, at 32.8 million, was also a record-breaking number, according to the company—appearing to show a steady upward trend for train travel across the U.S.

In 2025, Amtrak invested $5.5 billion in infrastructure projects—a 24 percent increase over the previous year—including $1.1 billion for track, catenary, signal, and structural maintenance, as well as progress on major bridge, tunnel, and station upgrades. These improvements support jobs, strengthen local economies and enhance accessibility.

Amtrak—America’s primary provider of intercity passenger rail service—said it had set a new ridership record in FY25, carrying 34.5 million passengers across a 21,000-mile network to more than 500 station stops in 46 states, a 5.1 percent increase over FY24’s then-record of 32.8 million trips. This comes alongside other major milestones, including $2.7 billion in adjusted ticket sales and $3.9 billion in total operating revenue.

Plus, passengers logged a total of 6.9 billion miles in 2025—which is an all-time high—while on-time performance and customer service scores reached historic highs, with rave reviews about Wi-Fi coverage, food and drink, and communication, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.
Long-distance routes saw increased capacity and strong ridership, especially on the California Zephyr and Coast Starlight trains, and state-supported services like the Pacific Surfliner, Borealis, and Empire Service posted record gains.

Amtrak also introduced several new services, including the Mardi Gras route between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans—the first Gulf Coast service in nearly two decades—and launched the NextGen Acela on the Northeast Corridor, which welcomed more than 60,000 riders in its first month…

Passengers leaving an Amtrak train at Moynihan Penn Station in New York City, on July 13, 2023.​

 

[Coldchi]

TxDOT Unveils Plan To Expand Transit By 2050
November 10, 2025

TxDOT's new Texas Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan 2050 proposes a transformative, statewide network of expanded transportation options to handle the projected 40% population boom by 2050, even as several major North Texas cities consider withdrawing from DART.

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There are tens of thousands of residents in those cities that want to withdraw that use DART.
Once the bus and train service is removed from their area.....the complaints will be far and wide.
More from people in Dallas that may work in Plano.
This shit will affect FIFA attendees real hard next year. Uber and Lyft drivers will make a killing tho.

 

[blackbull1970]

Saudi Arabia and Qatar sign high-speed rail deal to link capitals

The project, set to be completed in six years, is the first of its kind between the two Gulf nations.

By Mariamne Everett and AFP
8 Dec 2025

Saudi Arabia and Qatar sign high-speed rail deal to link capitals

The project, set to be completed in six years, is the first of its kind between the two Gulf nations.

www.aljazeera.com

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a formal agreement to construct high-speed rail connecting their capitals, the first project of its kind between the two Gulf states that were once deeply at odds.

According to a statement in official Saudi media on Monday, the “high-speed electric passenger railway” would connect Riyadh’s King Salman International Airport with Doha’s Hamad International Airport...

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, receives Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha on September 15, 2025​