Japanese companies and U.S. HSR bidding

[bikkuri bahn]

Some preliminary details of the consortiums coming together.  Interesting about the Texas attempt- I think this one is a 100% privately funded affair.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/27/jreast-jrtokai-us-idUSTOE71Q00R20110227

[Guest Closed Account 1]

We really need to get back to mass transit and rely on autos to do the little trips. Brings people together. We are bringing up generations of disconnected people who only use their phones to text. Imagine that Mr. Alexander Graham Bell.

[disturbman]

An attempt in Texas? But there is no official project anymore over there?! I wonder if a company could build by itself an HSR line in Texas linking two of three major metros together? But JR Tokai is already going alone on the Japanese Maglev, I'm not sure they have enough financial strength to invest in two different and very expensive projects at the same time.

[qwertyaardvark]

The first attempt in Texas died back in the 80's(?) when Southwest Airlines lobbied against a TGV offer, but now there is a... "semi-official" project with the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Commission (THSRTC), and if i remember correctly, it did try to apply for the high speed rail grants last year, but were deemed by the transport secretary/committee to be too unorganized and too short of support. I'm personally up for it... but knowing Texans, it will be loooong uphill battle (as Gov. Perry's futile fight for the Texas TransCorridor and eminent domain protests showed). Difficulty in accessing the HSR stations was also a problem, especially with the planned major destinations (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin) as spread out as they are and with no truly effective mass transit system.

 

As far as funding goes, it looks like they are trying to come up with money privately... Also, Continental Airlines errr.... "United" had planned to join the THSRTC as they wanted to use the HSR system as a passenger collection system somehow... either to get ppl to airports or shuttle ppl between airports, so they might have had some money to put in the coffers.

 

If i can get resources, i'd add them in later, this is just off the top of my head ^^;;

[bikkuri bahn]

That's a good summary there.  I believe it was last year that Chairman Kasai of JR Tokai pitched the Texas HSR (Houston-Dallas) to a group of Houston business leaders, which apparently was well received.  Also, I think it's either JR Tokai or JR East that's interested in bidding for another privately funded venture, the Desert Xpress project between Las Vegas and Victorville.

[bikkuri bahn]

One thing about the cancellation of the Florida HSR (if it really is dead, I dunno...), is that it concentrates the efforts of the Japanese groups, which may be good.  And as far as private ventures, I think the Japanese railways (well, the big JR companies at least) have bona fides in that they are publicly traded corporations, that have shareholders and issue earnings reports, rather than being huge government bureaucracies like the old JNR or China Railways, which may appeal to the stateside worshippers of private enterprise (= does it maximize shareholder benefit).

[Mudkip Orange]

Need to get rid of Rick Perry first. Texas could very well roll with private financing, but you'll need eminent domain, and you'll need eminent domain in cities and counties which the rail *does not stop in*. That means a strongly supportive state government, and as the Rick Scott bs illustrates you can't count on teabaggers to show any kind of leadership in this area.

[Mudkip Orange]

Also if we -did- have a HOU-DAL, it would be cool if it had some sort of ultra-first-class car. IAH is the jumping off point for Doha, Dubai, all the wealthy petronations, so it would make sense to have a super-luxe train to feed from the Dallas area to there.