56 High Speed Rail Links We Should've Built Already

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Strong rec theluketaylor · 2024-02 · on “Spain's plan to ban domestic flights where you can take a train in under 2.5 hrs”

The CityNerd youtube channel recently did a list of city pairs ideally suited for high speed rail based on Spain's own network. spoiler alert: the northeast corridor plays a pretty heavy part, but it's not the only place in the US high speed rail makes a ton of sense. Highly recommended. [this video]

Recommends browningstreet · 2024-04 · on “San Francisco-to-L.A. overnight train inches closer to reality”

CityNerd identifies 56 train segments that should be built, using data and reasonable, precedented criteria: [this video] His video description: "Nothing that exists in North America fits the definition of true high-speed rail. If we actually ever started building a network, where would we start? And how would we know when we were done? This video details a methodology for answering all those questions, then counts up 56 city pairs we really should've had high-speed rail service between long, long ago."

Recommends alistairSH · 2024-05 · on “General Motors Streetcar Conspiracy”

Mixed answer. One driving factor in the creation of the interstate system was military - we wanted the ability to easily move troops/supplies across the US without airlift or rail. Not sure that's still a valid need (as in, I don't know - would need to ask a general). Also, the US is huge. We do need some sort of road system to get across it. Building rail to everywhere is prohibitively expensive. That said, we should/could have good high speed rail in the densest areas. Like expand the Acela corridor CityNerd does a nice summary of city pairs that should have high speed rail based on population and distance... [this video] tl;dr - DC-NYC tops the list (and include Philly and Balt). LA to SF is n

Cites jodrellblank · 2025-10 · on “Uv is the best thing to happen to the Python ecosystem in a decade”

> there are vast stretches of the country where trains just do not make economic sense There are plenty of city pairs where high speed trains do make economic sense and America still doesn't have them . [1] is a video "56 high speed rail links we should've built already" by CityNerd. And that's aside from providing services for the greater good instead of for profit - subsidizing public transport to make a city center more walkable and more profitable and safer and cleaner can be a worthwhile thing. The US government spends a lot subsidizing air travel. > So no, I don't think Europeans who haven't been in America have quite absorbed just how vast America is China had some 26,000 miles of hig