The history of the bullet train, and its future in the USA

[sekker]

Thrift Store Scott wrote:
[quote=Bill in NC]
Yep, the capital cost are so high that there is never breakeven.

However, heavy rail works very well for freight in the U.S.

Why not spend the billions on expanding and electrifying as much freight rail as possible?

And introduce tax incentives to cut down on coast-to-coast truck traffic (heavy trucks cause the most damage to roads and bridges)

Use trucks for short-to-medium range deliveries from the rail terminals (some shorter routes could be handled by electric vehicles)

The above would cut petroleum consumption and save wear and tear on the existing road network.

Nah, it'll never happen; that plan is waaaay too sensible and logical.
Depending on the rail density, this model could even work with electric-powered trucks for local distribution.