@JulioReich @freddie_the_fed the way i see it is we have two main issues with being able to have a rail system like japan.
america is massive, like @wingedhussar says. i think relying on a single company or the federal government to make it work is just stupid. effectively, you would want all 48 contiguous state governments working together with the size, with the mandate of at least one high speed line per state, stopping in the capital and probably at least two next largest cities
the second, major hurdle, is that it’s freaking expensive to use the train. not only would i need to drive an hour to get to the nearest station, but i would need to leave my car there, then pay more to take the trip, slower, than what it would cost to drive with an ICE car. we don’t even need to talk about the cost savings using an EV right now…