As if we didn't have enough to worry about. Now a rail strike.

[Ben]

A few points on that:
1.  I don't think Russia has any sort of interstate highway system like the US.  I don't know if they have ever encouraged freedom of travel like we do. 

Question for the Group:  If the existing rail lines set up some nice passenger cars on the rail around the country, would anyone actually ride them?  The speeds would be relatively slow and have limited destinations.  Not to mention rail yards are not always in the best areas of cities.  Buses make a lot more sense these days than rail.  Only way I could see it work is if a city had an existing mass transit rail system, a connection could be made to the interstate rail to allow people to switch over.  I doubt it would make economic sense to build all that if it didn't exist.

On #1, that's part of what I was getting at regarding infrastructure . There may not even be roads in some areas between Moscow and  Vladivostok for all I know. It's a 1000 miles shorter distance, but a relevant example would be not being able to drive from LA to NYC because there are no roads in Colorado.

On the question, certainly we no longer have the train stations of old here from all those movies from the 1930s. A few big hubs like Union Station sure. I recall the train station in Santa Barbara (I often dropped hippie coworkers off who wanted to take the train to San Diego or wherever) was just seats, a ticket counter, and bathrooms. If you look at European train stations, from mid-sized cities on, the train stations are almost like airports here, with lounges, restaurants, etc.

[zahc]

Question for the Group:  If the existing rail lines set up some nice passenger cars on the rail around the country, would anyone actually ride them?

What you have described is known as "Amtrak" and it's pretty sucky because it attempts to use private freight rail for passenger use. Despite sucking I'm still glad we have it because it's better than nothing.

It has been shown that even as sucky as Amtrak is, some people do in fact ride it. Amtrak doesn't come to my city at all, so I can't.

Generally if the trains went where people want to go, then people ride them.

 

The speeds would be relatively slow and have limited destinations.

Yes, but why do we shoot so low? Why can't the trains be fast, and go many places? Why are we the most (formerly) great country in the world and we are talking about aspiring to crappy slow train running on freight rails?

Not to mention rail yards are not always in the best areas of cities.

Which is why passenger rail is universally separate from freight rail. Passenger stations need to be where people want to go. One example is when I lived in Dallas, there was a DART station right by TI blvd where I worked. I was able to take it right to the courthouse. No traffic or parking. One less car on 75.

Only way I could see it work is if a city had an existing mass transit rail system, a connection could be made to the interstate rail to allow people to switch over.

 

Yes, what you have imagined is called a "connection". By connecting train lines, you can form what is known as a "rail network", allowing you to travel around! You can also connect the rail lines to other modes like airports, rental garages, and bus terminals, forming what is known as a "transportation network". These "rail networks" are common everywhere in the world except the US.

I doubt it would make economic sense to build all that if it didn't exist.

And here we are back to the fall of America. We can't build anything. Only if it was already built by previous generations of Americans, the ones who did great things (or even mundane things like build trains), is it possible. We are doomed.

[zahc]

Back to the rail strike.

I think the democrats showed their hand too much with the way they totally f'd the rail unions this time.

I honestly don't know why the democrats weren't smart enough to broker some kind of compromise, and throw at least a few bones to the unions. They are usually smarter than that; anyone would be smarter than that... it's so weird I wonder if there is some shadow force at work.

There seems to be a widespread reaction not just from rail unions but other labor groups who apparently are stupid enough to vote Democrat, but apparently smart enough to comprehend when they get F'd by the D party, at least when the Fing is this bad, which is a glimmer of progress. a man can hope: could this be a step along a path of not just labor, but other D stronghold constituencies finally realizing they are voting for the wrong party?

"Well I tell you what, If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't [a blue collar worker]."

“Outrageous that the most pro-union President since Roosevelt has failed to stand up for railway workers on the union's important sick pay issue,” said Seth Goldstein, a lawyer for the Amazon Labor Union. "This just shows unions should never be reliant on a political party or politician.”

A worker should not be fired for going to the doctor. Yet it is 2022 and railroaders are fighting for sick leave in the richest country on Earth,” the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the country, said in a statement.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien:. “Why should rail executives and members of Congress have paid sick time, but rail workers don’t get a single paid sick day? If Congress is going to take over this process, they need to include paid sick days.”

“If Congress forces a crap deal on the railroad workers they should all strike anyway,” one person wrote in a Reddit post. “*expletive deleted*ck the economy. Let the cargo on those trains rot.”

Starbucks Workers United, which represents over 250 unionized Starbucks stores, tweeted, “Pres. Biden forcing railroad workers to accept a deal they voted down is a betrayal of working class people. Siding with the bosses to deny workers paid sick leave and prevent a strike is not pro-labor.”

When you lose Amazon and Starbucks....

https://www.vice.com/en/article/93avvp/scab-workers-furious-at-joe-biden-after-pro-labor-president-sells-out-railworker-unions

[kgbsquirrel]

Back to the rail strike.

I think the democrats showed their hand too much with the way they totally f'd the rail unions this time.

I honestly don't know why the democrats weren't smart enough to broker some kind of compromise, and throw at least a few bones to the unions. They are usually smarter than that; anyone would be smarter than that... it's so weird I wonder if there is some shadow force at work.

There seems to be a widespread reaction not just from rail unions but other labor groups who apparently are stupid enough to vote Democrat, but apparently smart enough to comprehend when they get F'd by the D party, at least when the Fing is this bad, which is a glimmer of progress. a man can hope: could this be a step along a path of not just labor, but other D stronghold constituencies finally realizing they are voting for the wrong party?

"Well I tell you what, If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't [a blue collar worker]."



When you lose Amazon and Starbucks....

https://www.vice.com/en/article/93avvp/scab-workers-furious-at-joe-biden-after-pro-labor-president-sells-out-railworker-unions

*expletive deleted*ck Amazon.  Jeff who just wants to make money trucking the freight the trains won't be moving.

[Andiron]

 

Question for the Group:  If the existing rail lines set up some nice passenger cars on the rail around the country, would anyone actually ride them? 

No.  It's an unprofitable and unwanted service.

IMO, our road networks allow a great deal of individual freedom to move around without depending on anything but fuel.  I would hate to change that.

That's the reasoning for my answer to the first question.  Until they manage to force us all into shitty little electric cars and make fuel prices comparable to Europe ,  there's no incentive to use any form of mass transit.  Unless you really enjoy the "vibrant diversity" that entails. Which is why  I preffer taxi or uber in large cities.  *expletive deleted*ck subways.

And if driving isn't practical,  I'll hold my nose and get on a plane.

[HankB]

IF the government WERE to make a serious investment in long distance passenger rail . . . they'd CERTAINLY overlay it with TSA screenings and restrictions, just like they do with airline travel. They'd do everything to make train travel just as pleasant and relaxing as airline travel.

And that's assuming they actually DID build and operate such a system, unlike California's bullet train which is just a way of conveying public (taxpayer) funds into private pockets.