TGV on HSR versus Acela on HSR
Unclear thinking.
Why would you put old technology trains like Acela if you built new fast track? There would be little if any difference in building the track for a fast Acela versus a true TGV (or HST). That indeed would be a dumb use of money.
And the calculations are a bit off too (even if some are from the article). These days TGVs travel at 320 kmph (new ones are capable of 360 kmph but do not always do it, for various reasons). That means the 153 km (95 mi in prehistoric units) could be traversed in a theoretical 28 minutes but ok let's say a tad more than 30 minutes.
So, the real comparison is this 30 minutes versus the current Acela of 70 minutes. That is a huge difference for any daily commuter. It is also less than the 35 minutes the average NY commuter spends each day.
