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Affordable high-speed rail won't work in America at all. It's not because of logistics, or cost, or even resources.

It's because high-speed rail would let the poorest have roughly the same freedom of movement the rich have now. And we can't have that now can we?

You can already find "affordable" travel between LA and SF using greyhound or craigslist ad-hoc rideshares etc.

Is there anywhere in world where HSR is cheap enough for poor people to use it much?

China I suppose? It relies on government subsidies though.