Something incredible is bubbling up on Twitter.
If you rely on cable news, you might be under the impression that the biggest story of the day is that of the British Royal family split. Or Dr. Seuss, for some inexplicable reason. #MehganMarkle #DrSeuss
You might have missed a bill introduced in Congress last week that, if passed, could impact each one of us. And the planet. And our competitive advantage globally.
I spotted an image on Twitter this morning that would have been considered mere fantasy until recently.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg just ramped up the dreams of many a train buff by retweeting a high-speed rail map now being called a 'Gen Z meme.'
“Gen Z is dreaming big. It's time we all did the same,” tweeted @SecretaryPete. He retweeted this map to his 193,100 followers on March 12.
Look!
Translation: It is within the realm of possibility that a US President who spent much of his life on AMTRAK commuting to and from DC from his home in Delaware, plus his brilliant Secretary of Transportation, a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, and a growing voting block of young voters who will demand environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives, could be the ticket to ride this idea to fruition.
Imagine being able to board a train in Des Moines and travel four or five times as fast as a car to Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond. Imagine the jobs created to build a high-speed rail system.
Imagine. Imagine. Imagine.
Yes, it’s a long way from vision to reality, but getting behind a shared vision is the first step.
It's downright embarrassing that the United States is so far behind other countries in providing this mode of transportation. Anyone who has ridden a high-speed rail train knows how vital this is for our country's future.
Gen Zs are well-traveled, and many have ridden these systems. They know high-speed rail is the future.
There are trains in China that travel at a maximum speed of 267 mph. There's one in Japan that travels as fast as 224 mph.
In contrast, the fastest in the US is the Acela train between New York and Washington, DC that travels a maximum of 135mph. Still, there can be delays due to using shared rail with freight.
That is just one tiny snippet of a corridor where so-called 'high-speed rail' is available in this country.
And the Acela is slower than the fastest train in Morocco (144 mph), Germany (148.4 mph); Taiwan (159.3); Spain (161.3 mph); Italy (169.3).
Richard and I have used the Amtrak Auto Train from Lorton, VA, (Washington, DC) to Sanford, FL. (Orlando). We board around 4 p.m. and arrive at our destination about 9 the following morning. Foodservice in the dining car is lovely, and although the top bunk of the sleeping car is a little rough, it's manageable. We save wear and tear on the car and ourselves. I don't foresee expanding the auto train concept in this high-speed initiative, but it's where I first fell in love with travel by rail.
We've taken a train from Chicago to Whitefish, MT, and loved every minute. We loaded up with books but stared out the window most of the way. After 38 hours, we arrived precisely on time.
High-speed rail service through Des Moines is exciting on so many levels. The possibilities are mind-blowing. Imagine living in Des Moines and commuting to and from downtown Chicago in less than two hours. It conceivably could take less time than driving bumper to bumper from a northern Chicago suburb where housing costs are exponentially higher. Plus, you could work or read on the train instead of playing 'dodge 'em' on the expressway.
Maybe I'm naive, but I remain hopeful that we are ushering in a new voter base of folks willing to chip in $10, $20, $50, or more to candidates and compete with big fossil-fuel donors.
Tickets, please. Breakfast will be served in the dining car.
Check out these YouTube videos of high-speed trains.
Top 10 Fastest (2021)
Why is China better at high-speed rail?
Other related stories:
Congressman Seth Moulton, D-MA, reintroduces a bill to create high-speed rail across the US.
Fastest trains:
Vox story on the Gen Z meme.
Have you traveled by AMTRAK? Schedule a trip!
Other than the Acela, I have not been on a high-speed train. Have you? What was it like? What do you think?
Catch up time!
Good information. Thank you.
But this phrase "plus his brilliant Secretary of Transportation" really seemed out of place. Great political personality and Wall Street backing doesn't make him brilliant but we can hope.