Forum - View topicINTEREST: Maryland Governor Seeks Federal Funding After Riding Japan's Maglev Train
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mangamuscle
Posts: 2658 Location: Mexico |
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Color me surprised that a republican would want to invest in trains, which at least in the east coast of the USA should be the first means of transportation (like in Europe or Japan) instead of airplanes.
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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Pft, we don't even have regular bullet trains, maglev is a little "beyond" right now.
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bemused Bohemian
Posts: 404 Location: central Mizzou (Moral Oralville) |
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This technology has been around for years. I saw a Korean demonstration using urban transit examples during Expo '86 held in Vancouver, BC back in the day. Though I think it's more practical as a transit mechanism for the NEC and other high population densities I have a gnawing suspicion that a lot of this funding is intended for personal political pocketing rather than public good.
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Gasero
 Posts: 939 Location: USA |
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It shouldn't take a trip to Japan to want to improve infrastructure. Improving infrastructure is something one should want to do regardless of what other countries are doing.
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Hameyadea
 Posts: 3679 |
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So... He just now noticed this technology has been around?
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mgosdin
 Posts: 1302 Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA |
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Bohemian, you are probably right about where a goodly chunk of the funds spent on any project like this will end up. The problem with high speed rail / mass transit in the US is population density. The NEC has the highest population density in the US and it almost isn't enough to support large scale mass transit using the existing infrastructure which was paid for in the late 1800's. New infrastructure, like the proposed maglev, costs big money and because of the nature of public works projects in the Northeastern US the dollars mentioned will not be enough no matter what. There is a need for mass transit, but everyone involved needs to be realistic about how hard it is to make work here. Mark Gosdin |
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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different technologies. You should do some research. Maglev made a alot of advancement over the years. the one that China and South Korea build was low-speed maglev. Just like TV made advancement over the years. OLED TV is not the same technology as LED TV people. I can't believe people still think OLED is the same technology. Last edited by Spotlesseden on Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mangamuscle
Posts: 2658 Location: Mexico |
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How about doing it because of what the USA has done? At least from what I have heard nowadays taking a trip in an airplane has become a harrowing experience due to security measures, but no matter how you dice it, you can't ram a train into a building of your choice so I would expect there would be a push by the average citizen asking the government to help finance faster trains, but alas, I have not heard of one protest or petition signed by at least a few thousands.
Please tell me with a straight face that the money invested in Iraq (for naught) over the course of a decade would not have been enough to revitalize said infrastructure. |
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EricJ2
 Posts: 4016 |
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Also, the excuse to find a place to put a high-speed maglev has also been suggested between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. (Where it would be more at home, with more open spaces that need transversing quickly, considering that Vegas doesn't even have an Amtrak stop yet.)
Then someone suggests that Anaheim be on the stops, and everyone starts accusing it of being California state tourism fodder. (Well, sir, there's nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide electrified, six-car maglev train! What'd I say? Maglev! What's it called? Maglev! That's right! Maglev!) |
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Polycell
 Posts: 4623 |
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Razor/Edge
Posts: 607 |
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Sadly, war is a lot more likely to be funded than an infrastructure project. That's always the way it's been. People love their war and conquest, especially under the delusion that there is something to be gained from it. What's there to be gained from investing in trains? Not a hell of a whole lot. We're used to planes and air travel, and no matter how much worse that experience is, we still put up with it. Trains haven't been the main mode of transportation in America for hundreds of years, and I really can't see them coming back. Which is unfortunate. I love trains, and these maglev trains are badass. |
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Hameyadea
Posts: 3679 |
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The same can be applied to health care, education, medical and/or biological research (vaccines, better produce), transportation maintenance, and more. But they weren't adequately funded, whilst U.S.'s "foreign policies" in Iraq & Afghanistan got practically a blank cheque - which did wonders to its National Debt. So yeah, it can be said in a straight face there won't be enough funding to projects such as these. And if there is, it will be for a small-scale, localized version and the people on top will reap the glory of "promoting community interests" while leaving it in the dust. Else, the train system wouldn't have been looking like it does. Last edited by Hameyadea on Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mangamuscle
Posts: 2658 Location: Mexico |
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From what I have heard, the japanese rail business was sold to the private sector in 1987, there have been three republican presidents since then and bush jr. had control of congress, so no matter how I look at it, nothing has been done because of a lack of will to revitalize infrastructure.
The corrected it for you 
Last edited by mangamuscle on Sat Jun 06, 2015 5:44 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Mr. Oshawott
 Posts: 6773 |
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As much as I would love to ride a Maglev train in the U.S., I don't see one appearing anywhere within the country anytime soon, perhaps for the reason that the government has decided to spend money on...other questionable projects...
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vanfanel
 Posts: 1261 |
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A trip by shinkansen from Tokyo to Fukuoka will cost you $200 one-way, and that's when the dollar is trading for 100 yen. Flying is cheaper over long distances like that. Not sure what the maglev price would be, but I don't see it being cheaper unless the faster transit times allow them to increase volume by having more runs per day.
That's the critical question for using this in the USA: can they deliver the service at a price enough people are willing to pay? I can just see some politician wanting to introduce a "temporary" subsidy to lower the cost until it catches on, but that to me has "boondoggle" written all over it. |
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