Exclusive: Biden and Kishida likely to discuss Texas bullet train project
Source: Reuters
April 9, 2024 2:51 AM EDT
TOKYO/WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden is seeking to revive interest in a plan to build the first high-speed rail in the U. S. using Japanese bullet trains, with sources saying he is likely to discuss the project with Japan's prime minister in Washington this week.
The leaders may publicly voice support for the multi-billion-dollar Texas project after Wednesday's talks, which have been partly overshadowed by U.S. opposition to another Japanese investment, Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit to Washington, the first by a Japanese leader in nine years, aims to showcase closer security and economic ties between the allies.
The project linking Dallas and Houston will be on the agenda for the talks, said three sources familiar with summit preparations, who sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media. It is likely to be mentioned in joint statements following the talks, two of the sources said.
However, a senior Biden administration official said the project did not appear to have matured to the point where the leaders would announce progress publicly. All the sources cautioned that the details of the final agreements could change before the visit. Japan's foreign ministry declined to comment, saying the governments were still coordinating joint statements from the talks. The White House declined to comment.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/biden-kishida-likely-discuss-texas-bullet-train-project-sources-say-2024-04-09/
SunSeeker
(51,578 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,184 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,375 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,184 posts)and thank you! I remember when that happened and I think stuff came up about trying to get the L.A. to San Francisco project back on track (apparently has a lot of cost overruns).
Igel
(35,323 posts)And when I say "way" I mean more than an order of magnitude.
I'd like a kitchen remodel that takes 4 weeks and $5k.
Not one that takes 5 years and $400k.
Oh, wait, somebody else will pay for the cost overrun.
I bask.
SunSeeker
(51,578 posts)I wish the LA to SF high speed rail was going smoother. Sometimes I think it will never be completed.
BumRushDaShow
(129,184 posts)something like that is almost an impossibility.
They always envisioned the Acela to be "high speed" but there are only small portions of the Northeast corridor route where it can go those potential speeds.
electric_blue68
(14,923 posts)My sis, and I took it to DC for Obama's first Inauguration! Then regular train back to NYC.
BumRushDaShow
(129,184 posts)and there are some of the train bridges that need repair.
E.g., I saw this mention of a recent upgrade/infrastructure repair - https://media.amtrak.com/2022/06/amtrak-increasing-speed-of-acela-trains-in-new-jersey-through-infrastructure-investments-and-improvements/
Also found these handy graphs of "speed limits" along the Boston - D.C. corridor - http://www.realtransit.org/nec7.php
Earlier in my work career, whenever we had to go to HQ in D.C. metro, we would hop Amtrak and on ocassion, they would authorize an Acela train. The Acela did go a bit faster but then it wasn't doing all the little stops that the regular Amtrak trains wold do. After awhile, we either GOV'd or POV'd down there (I mostly would POV = "Personally-Owned Vehicle" ).
electric_blue68
(14,923 posts)just New Brunswick to Princeton. ???
Otoh... I love the Speed Graphs! Ty. 😁
At they get to about 3/4's speed a bunch of times going southward. Up to ?90% going northward at times.
Aristus
(66,409 posts)They're going to love it.
Why do I feel Abbott will do everything in his power to stop this project??
Aristus
(66,409 posts)We'll just change the name to 'High-capacity magazine, rapid fire, assault rifle' rail.
(BTW, I know they hate the term 'assault rifle'. Because they want to have a highly-deadly weapon, good for bloody massacres, but they don't want it to have a scary name.)
republianmushroom
(13,623 posts)Igel
(35,323 posts)In operation, LA to Vegas to SF. High speed. The audited and approved budgets were approved and met. The time schedules were met.
Yeah, it's a clown show. "Let's throw in another $3 billion and say it'll just take 20% longer than the original time span."
Note that the Key Bridge has all kinds of environmental waivers assured. While the environmental laws are essential, when politics matter, f**k them all. But only then. Otherwise, "essential."
miyazaki
(2,246 posts)Almost forgot all about it. Easy to guess where all their fat stacks of private money went.
A decade and a half later all they really got is a logo, (kind of a cool logo though).