Rail Infrastructure Debate

Discussions focus on the feasibility, costs, and benefits of building or using rail infrastructure, including comparisons to roads, existing tracks, maintenance challenges, and US-specific hurdles versus other countries.

📉 Falling 0.5x Politics & Society
3,217
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#1979
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Activity Over Time

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Keywords

US E2 TGV aresnorthamerica.com wikipedia.org en.m www.wsj BLM WCML SLC rail tracks train trains railway track railroad construction infrastructure build

Sample Comments

wcummings Oct 25, 2016 View on HN

As long you're building expensive infrastructure, might as well build actual rails.

themaninthedark Nov 27, 2024 View on HN

It's an interesting idea but why don't they just use the already existing rail lines?

crote Sep 27, 2025 View on HN

Trains run on rails, which doesn't exactly allow them to go off-highway. If you're already spending a fortune on building the rail infrastructure, why wouldn't you spend a few bucks extra to install the extension cord?

jonsen Nov 28, 2015 View on HN

Why not use this for long distance? Wouldn't it result in cheaper "railway" construction?

arentiright Jun 10, 2018 View on HN

The railroads didn't build themselves

simion314 Oct 3, 2019 View on HN

I assume there are already tracks between the major cities, probably used today mostly for materials and not people, so can't you put a new track near the existing one, this land would already have low value since trains are already passing there.

YeGoblynQueenne Jun 23, 2021 View on HN

"Massive infrastructure requirements" for trains. Compared to what though?

jgbmlg Aug 30, 2023 View on HN

Rail isn't practical for some routes because the highways are maintained by the government but the tracks are maintained by the rail carriers.

psini Aug 20, 2024 View on HN

Sounds like reinventing trains, but honestly why not with all the existing road infrastructure

pattakak Jul 25, 2023 View on HN

We dont need the space in the parts where the railroads are tbh