Report: 14 billion dollar deal for Bullet train from Houston to Dallas is done

[SHOOTER12 8883]

We're in preliminary bidding stage as a subcontractor, and have been working with the powers that be for several months on cost projections for the drill shaft portion.  This thing is going to be a beast.

[atomheartbevo 90550]

Based on that seat layout, there’s a shitload of people who will gladly take that back-and-forth between Houston and Dallas.   I can only imagine the drunkenness when it’s a bunch of sports fans.  

[markstanco 12773]

at least you won't have to deal with recliners eating up your leg room and closing your laptop:

https://www.dmagazine.com/business-economy/2020/02/first-look-texas-high-speed-train-interiors/

I have been on the 303 km/hr train out of Shanghai a few times and it rocks. Laptop room and a place for a water bottle. Bottle never moves.

Love to see how these high speed trains dodge deer and pigs in december at 9p around centerville, that's the engineering feat that will amaze me. Maybe a 20 foot wedge designed by Ranch Hand?

[Iceman 2956]

just install some really big deer whistles?

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

Just make the front of it one giant cowcatcher.

[Hate 20232]

7 hours ago, markstanco said:

I have been on the 303 km/hr train out of Shanghai a few times and it rocks. Laptop room and a place for a water bottle. Bottle never moves.

Love to see how these high speed trains dodge deer and pigs in december at 9p around centerville, that's the engineering feat that will amaze me. Maybe a 20 foot wedge designed by Ranch Hand?

What do they do for wildlife protection in China?  Or is everything that moves over there eaten so it's not really a problem?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13709]

We just to start getting this built. People seem to have strong opinions about whether true high speed rail can work in the US or not, especially outside of the NE corridor.this is a great test in which a private company wants to fund it.

Yes some landowners will be negatively impacted but I’m sure landowners were negatively impacted with interstates or airports. I also understand that the rail company isn’t looking to pay pennies on the dollar for land. Instead they want to pay top dollar to avoid drawn out fights.

The probable upside of this project dwarfs the certain downside.

[CooterBrown 18273]

Austin building a public library for 120 million that no one will use was a great example of that.

I’ve only been twice this year but it’s been packed both times.

[Homercles 10206]

35 minutes ago, Hate said:

What do they do for wildlife protection in China?  Or is everything that moves over there eaten so it's not really a problem?

I bet a lot of it is fenced.  I know in Japan they found deer were attacked to the iron filings left behind to help their diet, so thought I’d read they were putting supplement stations nearby.  Either way I’m sure it gets exciting real fast. 

[troph 25098]

I’ve only been twice this year but it’s been packed both times.

Stop interrupting conservative taking points man, facts be damned.

[High Plains Drifter 11162]

 

If designed correctly, one of those things hitting a deer or pig wouldn't even cause the ice in your highball to tinkle.

[NeverMarryAStripper 22242]

I bet it would make the pig or deer tinkle

 

[JesusSweatDuck 18048]

3 hours ago, Hate said:

What do they do for wildlife protection in China?  Or is everything that moves over there eaten so it's not really a problem?

Hopefully fenced with wildlife tunnels or bridges like you see for interstates in Colorado.

[elfenix 34661]

It is fenced:

[heinhorn 16]

11 hours ago, markstanco said:

I have been on the 303 km/hr train out of Shanghai a few times and it rocks. Laptop room and a place for a water bottle. Bottle never moves.

Love to see how these high speed trains dodge deer and pigs in december at 9p around centerville, that's the engineering feat that will amaze me. Maybe a 20 foot wedge designed by Ranch Hand?

Quote

 The project will be “grade separated,” which means it will cross over or under all public roads and will have no intersections with people or vehicles, so there will be no cars waiting on trains to pass and no risk of trains interacting with cars.

From the Texas Central website.  I don't think wildlife will have the opportunity to get close to the tracks.  

[Pasken 1310]

Progress:

 

[Hate 20232]

There is no way that it will only take 6 years to build.

[AUS-97HORN 11991]

17 minutes ago, Hate said:

There is no way that it will only take 6 years to build.

16 or 26 seems more likely

[elfenix 34661]

13 minutes ago, Hate said:

There is no way that it will only take 6 years to build.

the spanish seem to know what the fuck they're doing (madrid - seville):

Quote

In December 1988 it was decided to build the new line in standard gauge. Construction was ordered on 16 March 1989, and it lasted for 33 months; actual construction activity lasted only 24 months. Commercial use of the line commenced on 21 April 1992.

 

 

[atomheartbevo 90550]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

the spanish seem to know what the fuck they're doing (madrid - seville):

Rick Perry’s greatest aggy feat of engineering, the Trans-Texas Corridor, was going to use Spanish companies to build the corridor.   Interesting.   

Edited February 20, 2020 by atomheartbevo

[elfenix 34661]

1 minute ago, atomheartbevo said:

Rick Perry’s greatest aggy feat of engineering, the Trans-Texas Corridor, was going to use Spanish companies to build the corridor.   Interesting.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cintra 

 

actual construction in this case is an italian firm iirc (it's further upthread somewhere)

[Reynolds Woodcock 5065]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

the spanish seem to know what the fuck they're doing (madrid - seville):

 

 

Those renfre high speed trains between Barcelona and Madrid and Madrid and Sevilla are awesome.

[Hate 20232]

Yeah, I've taken that train from Barcelona to Madrid.  It has a lot more elevation changes than between Houston and Dallas.  That's pretty amazing that they got that done so quickly. 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Hate

[CycleTex87 3005]

Spanish eminent domain laws are much more favorable towards the state. 

[Kyle 207]

I love trains. There is zero chance this boondoggle gets built. The state will bail out the "investors," and now one will speak of it again.

[RPM 26565]

38 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I love trains. There is zero chance this boondoggle gets built. The state will bail out the "investors," and now one will speak of it again.

I fear you're right, but hope otherwise. High-speed rail is needed. We have cars and we have planes. There's no middle ground for travel. 

[Deej 77676]

13 minutes ago, RPM said:

I fear you're right, but hope otherwise. High-speed rail is needed. We have cars and we have planes. There's no middle ground for travel. 

Electric scooters.

[Kyle 207]

11 minutes ago, RPM said:

I fear you're right, but hope otherwise. High-speed rail is needed. We have cars and we have planes. There's no middle ground for travel. 

Again, I love trains. But it does not take a genius to do the math in one's head to realize this is not only not viable but literally impossible. Honestly, I question the mental acuity or sanity of anyone who actually thinks this is possible with private money. I mean, a first year McCombs student can build the NPV model that shows this is not happening.

They'll raise money, they'll spend it on consulting, and they might bulldoze a few trees. But it is never happening unless the government funds it.

[atomheartbevo 90550]

35 minutes ago, Deej said:

Electric scooters.

What about regular scooters that get 70 miles to the gallon?

[RPM 26565]

Regional air isn't filling the gap. There are upscale bus lines, but speed/time is a problem. High speed rail from DFW in a 500 mile radius (don't limit it to Houston) would fill all kinds of travel need. Make regional hubs across the country to fill the need. We've developed an anti-rail attitude for some reason.

[atomheartbevo 90550]

15 minutes ago, RPM said:

Regional air isn't filling the gap. There are upscale bus lines, but speed/time is a problem. High speed rail from DFW in a 500 mile radius (don't limit it to Houston) would fill all kinds of travel need. Make regional hubs across the country to fill the need. We've developed an anti-rail attitude for some reason.

Probably blame the airlines, oil, and car companies for helping push that attitude.

Imagine high-speed rail between San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans.  

Oh, and throw in a stop in Lake Charles - 45 minutes or so from Houston to Lake Charles?  Those casinos should pay for that stretch alone, because a fuckton of people in Houston would hop on a high-speed train after work on a Friday, get off in Lake Charles, and head back home the same night or the next day.

Toss in a line to Galveston as well - if you could get people in Dallas down to Galveston in under 2 hours, without the stress of traffic in Dallas and Houston, there would be plenty of families who would do it.

[UDontKnow 10559]

1 hour ago, RPM said:

I fear you're right, but hope otherwise. High-speed rail is needed. We have cars and we have planes. There's no middle ground for travel. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13709]

8 hours ago, Kyle said:

Again, I love trains. But it does not take a genius to do the math in one's head to realize this is not only not viable but literally impossible. Honestly, I question the mental acuity or sanity of anyone who actually thinks this is possible with private money. I mean, a first year McCombs student can build the NPV model that shows this is not happening.

They'll raise money, they'll spend it on consulting, and they might bulldoze a few trees. But it is never happening unless the government funds it.

Possibly. They definitely are not transparent on the numbers. However at some point they will have to start spending real money unless their goal is to knock down those few trees and ask the govt to take it from there.

[freyguy 4366]

All I see from this is somehow Spain has swindled the Texas govt into giving them $6B.  First, the battle of Medina, now this....damn shame.

[Kyle 207]

14 hours ago, RPM said:

Regional air isn't filling the gap. There are upscale bus lines, but speed/time is a problem. High speed rail from DFW in a 500 mile radius (don't limit it to Houston) would fill all kinds of travel need. Make regional hubs across the country to fill the need. We've developed an anti-rail attitude for some reason.

I do not think there is an anti-rail attitude as much as it is an anti-boondoggle attitude. Just not efficient.

[Kyle 207]

15 hours ago, RPM said:

I fear you're right, but hope otherwise. High-speed rail is needed. We have cars and we have planes. There's no middle ground for travel. 

Need to just skip trains and go to the tube that can get you from Dallas to Austin in 20 minutes.

http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/04-07-17-texas-hyperloop-one-system-high-speed-travel-austin/

[Hate 20232]

I’d love to have a viable train system in Texas and throughout the country. After going through Europe in trains, I’ve discovered it’s a wonderful way to travel. I prefer trains to airplanes for “short” trips.

[Kyle 207]

8 minutes ago, Hate said:

I’d love to have a viable train system in Texas and throughout the country. After going through Europe in trains, I’ve discovered it’s a wonderful way to travel. I prefer trains to airplanes for “short” trips.

Fundamentally, trains' efficiency declines while airplanes' efficiency increases. In a large country like the U.S., planes just make more sense. I love taking European trains - even the Italian rail is cool ... but Europe is the size of Texas.

[Neonmoon 38130]

Americans are absolutely anti-rail 

This thread is littered with it 

[HouTex 1912]

Fundamentally, trains' efficiency declines while airplanes' efficiency increases. In a large country like the U.S., planes just make more sense. I love taking European trains - even the Italian rail is cool ... but Europe is the size of Texas.

???. France is roughly the size of Texas.

[Neonmoon 38130]

8 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Fundamentally, trains' efficiency declines while airplanes' efficiency increases. In a large country like the U.S., planes just make more sense. I love taking European trains - even the Italian rail is cool ... but Europe is the size of Texas.

Um...no, it is not.

[smwhorn 484]

9 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Fundamentally, trains' efficiency declines while airplanes' efficiency increases. In a large country like the U.S., planes just make more sense. I love taking European trains - even the Italian rail is cool ... but Europe is the size of Texas.

Like all of Europe?  The whole darned thing?

[Kyle 207]

Yes, I realize I was being hyperbolic.

 

[Kyle 207]

I'm too lazy to look and have to get the kid to baseball ... does anyone know if any of the European rail systems break even? I know that no mass transit system in the U.S. does, but does any one in Europe?

 

[Neonmoon 38130]

2 hours ago, Kyle said:

I'm too lazy to look and have to get the kid to baseball ... does anyone know if any of the European rail systems break even? I know that no mass transit system in the U.S. does, but does any one in Europe?

 

Most receive subsidies because they provide a public benefit 

[Deej 77676]

3 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

Americans are absolutely anti-rail 

This thread is littered with it 

Not all. NowThis loves trains being run.

[Kyle 207]

2 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

Most receive subsidies because they provide a public benefit 

That's why I don't think it's fair to say America is "anti-rail." It may be the America is anti wasting more tax dollars on unnecessary boondoggles ... that does not even consider the ridiculous capital needed for startup - buying the land alone likely could not be covered by a private investment ... much less capital to build the infrastructure. One can still love trains and not be "anti-rail" but still understand it is a foolish decision.

[Pasken 1310]

14 minutes ago, Kyle said:

That's why I don't think it's fair to say America is "anti-rail." It may be the America is anti wasting more tax dollars on unnecessary boondoggles ... that does not even consider the ridiculous capital needed for startup - buying the land alone likely could not be covered by a private investment ... much less capital to build the infrastructure. One can still love trains and not be "anti-rail" but still understand it is a foolish decision.

Thanks Kellyanne.

[Neonmoon 38130]

44 minutes ago, Kyle said:

That's why I don't think it's fair to say America is "anti-rail." It may be the America is anti wasting more tax dollars on unnecessary boondoggles ... that does not even consider the ridiculous capital needed for startup - buying the land alone likely could not be covered by a private investment ... much less capital to build the infrastructure. One can still love trains and not be "anti-rail" but still understand it is a foolish decision.

You think America is anti-wasting tax dollars on unnecessary boondoggles? What America do you live in? Hell, the military is one continuous example of burning money for no reason. You just want your tax dollars wasted on only things you wanted them wasted on, just like everyone else. 
 

 

[Armybrat 41328]

I think he’s saying Americans don’t like the $600 hammer thing. Yes, we Really do need the hammer and hopefully will put it to good use, but don’t try to tell us it has to cost $600 when there is another one just as good for $60.