Would you ride a supersonic passenger train?

"Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy) 10/25/2015 at 11:16 • Filed to: None

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It’s going to be a non-stop cross-country line, from the easternmost point of the US to the westernmost point. Amenities and services of a Shinkansen, all for $150. Are you in?

djmt1 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:21

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I already ride a train which goes under the sea so I guess supersonic is the next logical step.

Wheelerguy > djmt1 10/25/2015 at 11:23

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But will you ride it?

CB > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:23

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I’m on a train right now, and I’d love for it to be supersonic. Anything shorter than four hours would be a godsend.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:24

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After the first month of operation, yes.

Wheelerguy > CB 10/25/2015 at 11:28

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Hyperdrive or Magneto Inertial Fusion ?

Steve in Manhattan > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:30

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yup.

Wheelerguy > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/25/2015 at 11:31

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This is the right response to every new product, especially future-y stuff.

Wheelerguy > Steve in Manhattan 10/25/2015 at 11:32

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My X-type is too a real Jaguar > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:33

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Only if it’s called the SuperTrain and has swimming pools

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:34

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Like if the wind noise was really bad or it was really bumpy, the poor souls who took it first would tell the rest of the world and I just wouldn’t ride it if it was bad.

chaozbandit > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:36

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Depending on the route it takes, yes. Stretch goal: make it go through either coast on the Canadian side. :)

Wheelerguy > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/25/2015 at 11:37

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Excellent talking points, but I’m quite certain they’ll sort it out before the first trip.

Wheelerguy > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 10/25/2015 at 11:38

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That’s a different story. Give it one more year and a luxury supersonic train will come.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:39

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I’m sure they would but I still wouldn’t take it the first month. If it’s going that fast, do you have to stay sitting down and if you were allowed up, how hard would it be to walk.

djmt1 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:40

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Sure, I like trains.

McMike > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:42

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Trick question.

I would only ride a supersonic train it if it adhered to US safety regulations, which would mean it was in the US

No one would ever approve a supersonic land vehicle in the US.

Price sound good, though.

Slant6 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:43

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Maine to Alaska/Oregon? Not really major destinations. I’d do NYC to LA.

Wheelerguy > Slant6 10/25/2015 at 11:48

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Five lines, then. Four non-stop lines, one that will link NYC and LA, one that will link Maine and Alaska, two other east-west/west-east lines, plus one luxury line. Then add eight north-south-north lines (shorter) and two diagonal train lines with stops.

Wheelerguy > McMike 10/25/2015 at 11:51

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That means we’re rewriting them all. I have my men on standby.

Be reminded, however, that the ability to amend laws and change regulations, is insignificant next to the power of The Force.

Slant6 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 11:51

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Why the Maine Alaska? It would be so expensive to build and so few people close to those areas that no one would ever use it. If you want Alaska so bad have it run out of California as a North south route.

Wheelerguy > chaozbandit 10/25/2015 at 11:52

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Not impossible.

Wheelerguy > Slant6 10/25/2015 at 11:54

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Ah, right, yes. Should have seen that coming.

Alaska to San Diego?

Sam > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 12:27

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I don’t think supersonic would work very well. I mean, have you seen the damage caused by planes going supersonic thousands of feet in the air? Now imagine that when the train is at ground level.

TheHondaBro > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 12:50

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Hell yes I would.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 12:52

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In a heart beat

M54B30 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 13:04

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Eh, depends. I don’t worry about the safety (ridden ICE in Europe a few times) but have issues with the convenience. Wherever I’m going, I’ll still need a car unless I’m taking it into DC for sight seeing. If I was buying a car somewhere far, it’d be a nice alternative to the TSA security theater.

Slant6 > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 13:09

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If you really want Alaska. Although it probably isn’t worth it. Low interest combined with remote track maintenance would really mess things up.

California to Alaska to Russia though could be interesting.

Bad Idea Hat > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 13:21

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With our infrastructure, with the chance that the whole operation gets TSA’d leading to the security wait being longer than the train ride, with the fact that NIMBYs will make sure all but a small part of the line remains subsonic, with the chance that some suburban mom in a FUCKIN CROSSTOUR decides that being late to yoga class is unacceptable and decides to cross the closed gates, I’m going to say no thanks.

HammerheadFistpunch > Wheelerguy 10/25/2015 at 13:22

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Seems like a pretty niche market. And given that I don’t live someplace the train would stop...Or near it...No

wafflesnfalafel > Wheelerguy 10/26/2015 at 00:20

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As long as I get to be throttle man - notch 8, lets see what this thing can do.

Wheelerguy > wafflesnfalafel 10/26/2015 at 00:25

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You’re captain.

Wheelerguy > Bad Idea Hat 10/26/2015 at 00:33

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This thing’s an underground line.

Bad Idea Hat > Wheelerguy 10/26/2015 at 07:19

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That only eliminates the Crosstour mom variable. Actually, I think that makes the NIMBY problem even worse though, with the train “polluting the groundwater” and “shaking foundations” and such.

I think the idea is cool, I just don’t have a lot of faith in humanity.