tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post2752680659304017672..comments2024-03-21T00:18:25.414-07:00Comments on I See Japan...from L.A.: 310 mph Shinkansenowenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-65147708046763251632009-06-23T07:22:24.342-07:002009-06-23T07:22:24.342-07:00DefinitelyDefinitelyowenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-81907661689158825972009-06-23T03:21:51.198-07:002009-06-23T03:21:51.198-07:00Oh well, no 20kg baggage weight limit on trains. T...Oh well, no 20kg baggage weight limit on trains. That alone is a major advantage over planes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-36995019635953427672009-04-01T07:06:00.000-07:002009-04-01T07:06:00.000-07:00California often leads the nation in innovation so...California often leads the nation in innovation so I hope they will here as well.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-56790333224946910752009-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:002009-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00Some quality modern railways would be great and wo...Some quality modern railways would be great and would help solve problems. Maybe if California takes the lead, the federal government will catch on.John Militohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09712537337913128947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-52458953626744895752009-03-29T10:06:00.000-07:002009-03-29T10:06:00.000-07:00I hope Cali comes around also. I only wish they wo...I hope Cali comes around also. I only wish they would try for an even faster train and expand it to other areas like Phoenix.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-48508188827093708732009-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:002009-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:00Well, the high-speed train model can work outside ...Well, the high-speed train model can work outside Japan. I recently had occasion to make two business trips, Zurich-to-Paris and back. After taking the plane to Charles de Gaulle airport (Europe's worst airport in equal place with London Heathrow) on the first trip, I opted for the French train de grande vitesse (TGV) for the second. Takes longer than the plane, but infinitely more civilised .... I hope California too learns to love the train.Project Hyakumeizanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04260637418886330553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-65598153873221858692009-03-27T07:15:00.000-07:002009-03-27T07:15:00.000-07:00Sixmats, people prefer their cars in the States.Bi...Sixmats, people prefer their cars in the States.<BR/><BR/>Billywest, it would be pretty amazing to experience a high speed train like that going through California.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-87831985262315252562009-03-27T07:09:00.000-07:002009-03-27T07:09:00.000-07:00I love riding the Nozomi Shinkansen from Shin-Yoko...I love riding the Nozomi Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama to Kyoto with only the one stop in Nagoya. The ride is so smooth, and on a clear day the view of Fuji is incredible (not during the summer, of course), and watching it come into view and fade away in a relatively short time is awesome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-91138397543708473662009-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:002009-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00There has been talk of a high-speed line connectin...There has been talk of a high-speed line connecting Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota for years but it always gets killed.Thomas Hammerlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05448828623411526253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-43347862334132898722009-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:002009-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00It's true that Japan is more densely populated. Bu...It's true that Japan is more densely populated. But even in denser areas of Southern California, people would rather drive and when there are proposals to build rail in certain areas or more density, local neighborhood groups protest and it never gets done. So we all have to suffer in traffic with very few options for mass transit rail. Buses are not a good option because they have to sit in traffic as well so they take hours to get across town. The only real answer is rail and subway.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-84087015830129056262009-03-25T09:29:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:29:00.000-07:00Man, I'd love it if the US would upgrade its rail ...Man, I'd love it if the US would upgrade its rail infrastructure. Back in Seattle where I am from, they were starting to do this with some light-rail services to/from Seattle and surrounding cities, but local govt. incompetence along with some resistance has slowed progress, and it's nowhere near what I've seen in Japan.<BR/><BR/>In all fairness though, Japan is a highly centralized, dense population, while the US isn't, so there may be challenges we're not seeing.<BR/><BR/>Still, might as well start now. Gas ain't really getting cheaper, or more plentiful, and I am not yet sold on biodiesel, given that it's consuming an already strained world food supply.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14493200268438168735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-72697574933428221792009-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00Partly because Americans are addicted to their car...Partly because Americans are addicted to their cars, partly because car travel has long been subsidized and encouraged through massive highway construction and extremely low gas taxes.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-60850229243406756682009-03-24T13:34:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:34:00.000-07:00This is an interesting article. JR turns over bi...This is an interesting article. <BR/><BR/>JR turns over billions of yen a year in just profits alone, so building such high speed trains is feasible. Most people in L.A.,however,commute to work by car whereas in Japan you don't even need a car, so it's also practical.<BR/><BR/>There is simply not enough demand for highspeed rail lines in the U.S.the soul of japanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10963740501337441097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-60072497798238524292009-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:002009-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:00I heartily agree. The USA needs mass transit and n...I heartily agree. The USA needs mass transit and not just for the cities. Do you think people would drive to work if they could take a bus, trolley or train? I'd gladly take a mass transit system where I live if that were available.Tony Marianihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10224604335183260581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-36109835498353287122009-03-24T11:29:00.000-07:002009-03-24T11:29:00.000-07:00Most of the infrastructure money is spent on build...Most of the infrastructure money is spent on building or widening roads and highways. The fact is the government says it wants people to drive less and use less gas but they subsidize and encourage Americans to drive more by spending so much money on highway projects.owenandbenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-23962483157045770002009-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:002009-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:00The rails in the USA have been poorly managed and ...The rails in the USA have been poorly managed and having AMTRAK run them hasn't been stellar. The main problem is the tracks used. The train legacy in the USA used shorter rails. Hence all the clacking. The rails in Europe and Asia are longer runs of steel that are welded together and can carry the high speed trains. With all the money being spent on infrastructure in the USA, it'd be nice to see high speed trains running from NYC to Chicago, LA to SF and Chicago to LA. I never drive to NYC from where I live, I take the train. While the train isn't high speed, I am spared the misery of commuting on NY state roads, which are among the worst in the nation.Tony Marianihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10224604335183260581noreply@blogger.com