by electricron
STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:10 am Guess who would be taking it? It won't be me (I live near by). It won't be the average Baltimoron or DC resident (too expensive). It won't be any business person (ether taxi, hotel shuttle, car, or regular transit). Any politician taking it would risk raising a political stink over it. No, the only people who will take it are businessmen who have access to the corporate credit card, the uber rich, and lobbyists. That's it.I'll agree with you that as the project is proposed today that it will probably fail financially. Fare prices would probably be over priced as an airport express service. But what if this was just the first leg of a much larger project extended all the way to New York City or beyond?
It's doomed to fail.
300 mph speeds with limited station stops would probably put Amtrak's Corridor services out of business. Acela today averages around 70 mph, imagine if the Maglev averages over 150 mph - and travels DC to NYC easily within 90 minutes!!!!!!!! Built mostly in tunnels under the density along the corridor eliminates most of the difficulties faced by Amtrak improving the NEC. A nice what if.
People suggest this is just a technology demonstration - suppose it is just the first leg of a real longer range project. Many more city pairs further apart would meet that three hour sweet spot I keep harping about trains need to compete with planes.
What is important is that this demonstration project demonstrates reliability and affordability service, with on time and on budget construction. If it turns into a poorly managed financial boondoggle, it would turn America away from maglev for at least the next century.