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Speaking as a realistic fan of Elon Musk.... Yeah, the most rabid fans will keep unrealistically dreaming of things "just around the corner". But I wouldn't underestimate Musk. When you look at the list of things he's done that Nobody Has Done Before, it's impressive. The *one* thing he ha...

My question is why is the GOP so worried about eliminating a loss that amounts to less than the cost of a single F-35 when there are so many much more egregious sources of waste out there? The effect on the deficit is negligible. When there has been a long history of attempts on the right to scuttl...

Well there ARE steel wheels on steel rails that are used for guidance!

Even if you COULD buid it, you need to do the research which asks if you SHOULD. Market research. 1) Figure out how much it's going to cost to build your line. 2) Double it. 3) Figure out how much service you're going to offer - how many seats per hour? 4) Figure out how much you have to charge for ...

Full disclosure, I kinda flirted with being a libertarian in my 20s. Libertarians and rail have a catch-22. Libertarians think that rail should pay it's own way. Ok, let's work with that. Hong Kong's system makes a profit because they lease the areas around their stations and that's where the 'big b...

Would be nice to see them here in New Hampshire, but the big objection to extending Boston's Lowell Commuter Rail Line into NH has been the cost of upgrading the swamp-like 10MPH rail to something faster than a paralyzed turtle's speed. The cost of the rolling stock isn't as daunting as the cost of ...

Another factor in his decision was that the state is going to ask for the federal government to pay for the study. No dollars from a NH budget will be allocated for it. It may very well be that Sununu sees the opportunity to get a study that will show how much of a subsidy it will need. Then, even i...

Too bad we don't have an administration/congress that could see the possibilities for future passenger rail on a few of those routes.

I can't remember where it was that I read it, but I recall reading that you have to have a service level of 10 round-trips per day on a line to even BEGIN to talk about electrification making sense. Once you get to 10 round trips, THEN you can talk about load factors, demand, etc.

Tesla's development have kind of put that thought (too much power consumption) to rest.

While the software isn't fully there, all the hardware needed for full autonomy is now being put in every Tesla vehicle. Despite this, Tesla's can still get over 300 miles of range.

I can second everything the previous poster said. I've been on the A/T several times, one trip was in the Family Bedroom each way when our daughters were 9 & 4. One of the beds was a bit smaller, which was fine for the 4-year-old. One note - there is no bathroom in the Family Bedroom. However, y...

I live in NH and have taken the Auto Train several times. Lorton is something under an 8 hour drive for me. Leaving at 6am works fairly well since I'll miss the rush hours - even less of an issue on the weekends. It's more than I want to drive, but the advantages are sometimes worth it. Yes, I'd lov...

Ouch.. We came in from New Hampshire - parked at Alewife and took the Red Line in (and out) with no problems.

I can speak for people that worked in what is now called the Seaport District who lived north of the Mass Pike (I live in NH). We would have LOVED direct service to South Station! Look at all the development in Boston and it's in what used to be a vast wasteland of half-empty industrial buildings an...

The facts of the matter say that the NSRL *should* not be subject to the cost overruns of the Big Dig. There are no businesses demanding extortion (like Spaulding Rehab Hospital) to fund their moves. No new construction techniques have to be invented (like freezing the ground near South Station to j...