Yeah, speaking as a native Californian, I remember when those proposals were first introduced for train between SF and LA, and still nothing has happened apparently—it will never happen—not least of which because public transit is anathema to the vast majority of Americans, total pipe dream. I took the shinkansen in Japan only once when I was there. My thoughts were: very fast, very expensive, rain drops condensing horizontally onto the windows very quickly.
The cost is often surprising, but I try to compare with a flight, and the trains to the airports back to centre of the cities, rather than just flight.
Thank you for this rather eye-opening report. Something as large and costly as a high-speed rail network is obviously not an off-the-shelf product. Such a network is always going to be designed and built specifically for the real estate it serves; so it is both puzzling and disappointing to learn that the Japanese rail industry has been slow to work out how to add value to foreign rail projects by selling them Japanese know-how and experience. What a missed opportunity!
On the other hand, as you mention, Hitachi has built a rolling stock factory in the UK, where the Class 395 "Javelin" is now a familiar sight:
Yeah, speaking as a native Californian, I remember when those proposals were first introduced for train between SF and LA, and still nothing has happened apparently—it will never happen—not least of which because public transit is anathema to the vast majority of Americans, total pipe dream. I took the shinkansen in Japan only once when I was there. My thoughts were: very fast, very expensive, rain drops condensing horizontally onto the windows very quickly.
The cost is often surprising, but I try to compare with a flight, and the trains to the airports back to centre of the cities, rather than just flight.
I was just comparing to regular trains.
Beautifully written. Very impressed with the analysis here.
Thanks so much Safi!
I shouted you out in my short-form series here: https://thephysicality.substack.com/p/japans-pachinkos-buying-vs-renting
Thanks so much Safi! Interesting article too!
Thank you for this rather eye-opening report. Something as large and costly as a high-speed rail network is obviously not an off-the-shelf product. Such a network is always going to be designed and built specifically for the real estate it serves; so it is both puzzling and disappointing to learn that the Japanese rail industry has been slow to work out how to add value to foreign rail projects by selling them Japanese know-how and experience. What a missed opportunity!
On the other hand, as you mention, Hitachi has built a rolling stock factory in the UK, where the Class 395 "Javelin" is now a familiar sight:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_395
https://www.hitachirail.com/
Thorough!
“trainspertise” — great wordsmithing there!
Yes - I was thinking and here are the two most recent creations: how you will? because you all have to take the train?
https://open.substack.com/pub/lisalfu/p/episode-44-how-to-connect-my-voice?r=1vdcye&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true
https://open.substack.com/pub/lisalfu/p/a-holiday-version-of-training?r=1vdcye&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true