Tuesday June 23, 2009, 4:12 pm
I used to live in Lakeland and this train would be an asset. Why not accept the money, Obama is passing out millions to projects that dont even make sense. thanks Cal

Tuesday June 23, 2009, 11:16 pm
Leigh B.:

Not so fast my friend...although I agree that it would be an asset, and the infusion of federal dollars would be a step in the right direction HOWEVER, there are a lot of hurdles that need to be closely scrutinized first! Obama and the other interested major players aren't dealing with reality on this matter. For instance:

First and foremost: there's no infrastructure in place to get this pie-in-the-sky, Foggy Bottom 60 year late and $60 short pipe dream with a lot of empty political rhetoric.

Second: The national rail grid system needed for this "fantasy enterprise" no longer exists because the land under the rails was sold off and the rails removed long ago and sold for scrap to foreign businesses, or turned into "Rail Trails," or held in private trusts, et al. Imagine trying to convince private landowners and investment companies to sell portions of their land for a transcontinental RR system...Additionally we'll need all new rails laid that could easily handle high speed bullet trains. The way this idea is being bandied about one would think that's it's just a matter of throwing down rails, driving spikes in the ground and presto an Bullet train. [I rode the Bullets in Japan and can tell you they are fast and efficient-they work! Their rail systems work because back then they built them from the ground up, starting with R&Ding the entire RR system to be able to handle rapid transit trains]

Third: Where are the industries that will be needed for manufacturing the materials needed? We don't have that The amount Obama wanted is chicken feed compared to the amount required. I'm so tired of the politicos alluding to WW2 and the revamping of Detroit assembly lines for war production ad nauseum. The difference between then and now is that they had an infrastructure already in situ which made it a heck of a lot simpler; unlike now with no infrastructure in situ and having to start from scratch...

Fourth: Even with all the ducks lined up, it would be years before this "plan" would see the light of day and even longer until the grid system is estblished and the Bullets are running.