Stuck in the nineteenth century with HSR

I suppose that the April 28 announcement that Madera will have a “connecting station” for California’s High Speed Rail should lessen my opposition to the project. It doesn’t.

The whole plan is still outdated and ridiculously expensive. In Taiwan, the initial idea of building a high-speed railroad started in the 1970s. A feasibility study began in 1987 and was completed in 1990. Operation of the system started in 2007, and by 2014, 48,024,758 passengers had availed themselves of the transportation, which had close to 100 percent punctuality (from 99.19 percent in 2008 to 99.87 percent in 2011).

The Taiwan rail system uses Shinkansen trains, manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan. Each week, 954 trains cover the 214 miles from Taipei (in the north) to Kaohsiung (in the south) in 2 hours and 18 minutes. When the rails are clear and the train runs at top speed, it can make the trip in 96 minutes.

Total cost of the system was $18 billion, and passengers pay $55 for a one-way ticket, but seniors, disabled people, and children under 12 may ride for half price...