In all the world there are only three high speed rail systems which pay for themselves. All the rest are subsidized and some heavily.

with the price of air fares why would you not fly other than for the TSA? it was air travel that did them in the US simply because it started here faster and there weren't borders to worry about for the majority of travelers.

Rail is a romance that too many people never look past the haze to see the truth. Sadly even light rail is a boondoggle and the tens of billions if not a hundred or more in deferred maintenance is going to bite a lot of local transit authorities in the butt (it already smacks the Washington DC Metro)

What is really sad is this warning appeared on cato awhile back about the change to the contract presentation and most places blew it off because of the source