It's Like Every Other Country Isn't Even Trying

88

u/Teknicsrx7 7d ago

Inb4 euros start explaining why only trains matter

21

u/RICO_the_GOP 7d ago

In the context of Europe traisn really are better. Most countries are the size of a large US state and air travel has a lot of upfront and backend time cost. I can take a mental train 50 miles in the time it takes to get to yhe airport and get through security and get to the gate.

Unless your flying private any trip less than 200 miles can be just as easily served by a train time doest start to kick in until around 100 more. At that point I could be halfway across France

But considering in America you'd be halfway across Texas, flying Houston to LA saves time.

8

u/brodie1912 7d ago

To further this, only a handful of European countries are comparable to “large” US states (and even that’s debatable). Most are comparable to medium or smaller states that are densely populated, full of OLD infrastructure (think medieval or Roman roads, walls, etc…) and often constricting geography (mountains, large/numerous rivers, lots of peninsulas, etc…) so trains aren’t just alternatives to air travel they’re alternatives to difficult road travel as well. The northeast is a good proof of concept, NJ is the densest state and NJ Transit (while it has its many issues trust me I work there) also moves a shit ton of people on trains, not to mention the NYC system, Metro North in downstate NY or Long Island RR. So basically America has trains at places more similar to Europe and doesn’t have them in places that are different (though I wouldn’t complain and would argue we have room to expand high speed rail in some places).

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u/mleonnig 7d ago edited 7d ago

Everything you say is true, but trains and public transport will never be able to match the ultimate freedom of movement and personal timetable that private auto provides. Also, even the most efficient systems in the Europe and Asia are always subsidized by the government, they're not profitable. It's good to have the option, but the US will always be a car culture.

The US interstate system is also quite impressive compared to the European highwaynetwork, even if you account for the Autobahn... which is a cool novelty And I'm sure cool to drive on but it's a relatively short few stretches of road in a couple of countries... but in the US you can literally drive from any city to any city in the continental US and mainland Alaska (and Canada and Mexico if you count the Pan-Am). There are still capitols in Europe you cannot drive to from any other city. On that continent.

7

u/temporaryuser1000 7d ago

I’m not sure if this is a shitpost or if you’re just crazily misinformed about European roads.

-1

u/jconchroo 7d ago

Was walking down a path in England. Turns out it was a road

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u/mleonnig 7d ago

Which part of what I said about European roads is wrong? There are literally capitals in Europe you cannot drive to from many citied in Europe. The US interstate system is a more extensive road network relative to the European highway system.

2

u/temporaryuser1000 6d ago edited 6d ago

What cities can you not drive to? Genuinely curious if you could give a couple of examples.

You said autobahn is:
a novelty
in a few countries
only for a few stretches.

the autobahn is the German motorway network… so none of these are true.

1

u/RICO_the_GOP 7d ago

The fuck does private autoclave to do with trains vs air travel?

1

u/Schkrasss 7d ago

The fuck are you getting this bs from?

0

u/RubCocksWithThePope 7d ago

Dog they have proper roads in Europe too. Usually with a lot less traffic because public transportation exists in a usable form.

Gas is like 3-4x the price though so it is considerably harder to drive.

2

u/mleonnig 6d ago

No I know they have proper roads, no doubt, I'm just saying the US interstate and road system is impressively extensive compared to other places.

1

u/Lui_Le_Diamond 5d ago

We have more road to maintain

30

u/CombatRedRover 7d ago

US trains Run Up The Score on Euro trains like nobody's business.

We just use them for what trains are actually good at, and suited to: point to point commodity freight.

18

u/dsmith1994 7d ago

Having been to Europe. Dude why are you hating on passenger trains? It was low key my favorite part when I was over there.

15

u/Steve-Whitney 7d ago

Trains are brilliant when used in the right context & travelling distance as you're not dealing with the hassle of an airport at both ends.

1

u/Denalin 3d ago

Right. The Texas triangle would be an incredible use case for high speed rail. It’s the right distance (sucks to drive, too close to fly) and population. California is of course a good option and is under construction, though slow because it lacks the kind of federal support our highways see. Most of Florida and the Midwest would be well suited for actual 220MPH high speed rail.

2

u/the114dragon 6d ago

Trains are great at transporting passengers. If they weren't, then why are they used in the rest of the world who have decent public transport infrastructure?

4

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

7

u/CombatRedRover 7d ago

My comment was not that trains are not an effective mode of travel. My comment was that trains are better at point to point freight transport. Which they are. The most efficient use of rail transport is for freight.

In what ways is high-speed rail the superior travel method? What set of criteria are you using?

1

u/Denalin 3d ago

It’s superior for the trips that are too long to drive and too close to fly. At 220MPH there is a range… something like 100-400 miles in which HSR trips are the best option in terms of time spent. They’re good for connecting regions. There’s also of course the sustainability angle.

1

u/CombatRedRover 2d ago

No, it's not.

When you get to your destination, 400 miles away... what're you going to do? Go to a new city and spend the entire time in a 3 block radius, or rent a car so you can actually explore the city?

Even visiting NYC, renting a car is a pretty close yes/no for me. I could grab a train to Queens, yes, and driving in NYC is a fucking battle, but I'm not going to spend a few days in Manhattan and not visit the Chinese restaurants in Flushing (no, Manhattan's Chinatown is not a reasonable alternative).

1

u/Denalin 2d ago edited 2d ago

Take the subway or if you need a car take Uber. The train to NYC + subway/Uber is cheaper than the gas, wear and tear, parking fees in the city, and sanity lost driving your own car in traffic to get there.

I used to take the fast train from DC to NYC or the North NJ suburbs all the time. In NJ I’d just have friends pick me up. It was great and I could make the trip in 2hr instead of 4.

17

u/EasyAsaparagus 7d ago

The only thing more impressive than this is our actual Air Force 🦅

16

u/Efficient_Onion6401 7d ago

The US has the four largest Air Forces in the world because each branch has their own

12

u/EasyAsaparagus 7d ago

Feels good being number 1 multiple times over 🤣

6

u/InsufferableMollusk 7d ago

Reddit: nOw Do hIgH sPeEd rAiL 🤤

5

u/mleonnig 7d ago

It's coming to California!!!

10

u/scotty9090 7d ago

I’m betting on flying cars being a thing before we see a useful HSR system in CA.

2

u/mleonnig 7d ago

You're really going to bet against California innovation while looking at a long arc of history? Despite the news and what's politicized, it is being built and no they are fast-tracking procurements as well as laying the rail in 2026. I think it's coming to come together although it may take until the early 2030s

Now you do have a good point as far as it being behind schedule and over budget.

2

u/Purple-Violinist-293 5d ago

It'll be interesting to see what actual ridership numbers are (I'm still skeptical it'll be built at all) if it gets up and running. I don't think it can compete with airfare and time on LA-SJ but I think some of those middle distances might open the exurbs to further suburbanization by shortening the commute (maybe like the 50-90 mile range from city center?)

2

u/Lui_Le_Diamond 5d ago

California is great at innovating ways to debt trap people and violate the constitution.

1

u/Cross-Country 3d ago

It’s just gonna be full of outside people.

1

u/PhilosophyBitter7875 2d ago

New Jersey has a high speed train that has been in operation for 25 years now.

Good Job Cali, 25 years behind New Jersey.

2

u/Lui_Le_Diamond 5d ago

Fun fact, we have more trains than all of Europe including Russia and Britain combined.

1

u/dolphinvision 3d ago

Yes? You can't make an electric passenger plane from what I am aware of. But you can run HSR on electric. So what happens when all the fossil fuels are gone? It would make much more sense to have railways for quick intracountry travel, even intracontinent travel. And save planes for longer intracontinent travel/over seas/etc.

5

u/Sea_Commission4008 7d ago

Woah, this is so amazing! 😂

1

u/Own_Beginning_1678 7d ago

"We gotta fly!"- Freedom Lovers.

1

u/Steve-Whitney 7d ago

Australia has more airports per capita than the US

1

u/mleonnig 7d ago

I mean, we did invent the things...

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u/harshdonkey 7d ago

Yes I love sitting in traffic for 3 hours to spend 3 hours in line at the airport for a 2 hour flight.

6

u/AlphaMassDeBeta 7d ago

>Oh yeah, well you're always in traffic

why do cycleshits always resort to this argument?

7

u/battleofflowers 7d ago

What? Most people live far closer to the airport and spend like 30 minutes from the front door to their gate.

2

u/GetInTheHole 7d ago

I've been in my driveway when my wife texted me that her plane had landed and I beat her to baggage claim.

It's Like Every Other Country Isn't Even Trying

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