After the debacle with China's much-hyped showpiece HSR system...
...I figured it would be a bit longer before we'd start seeing these stories pop up here again. Alas, I was wrong.
And as usual, the myths about HSR are perpetuated here. Foremost among them is the myth that HSR is carbon competitive with traditional travel. It is not, when the carbon emissions related to the construction and maintenance of the system are counted. (HSR systems are finely tuned systems that require a magnitude more in terms of maintenance than traditional rail does) Also, consider that in China, most of the electricity that makes their trains go comes from coal-fired powerplants, which emit mass amounts of mercury as well as CO2.
"Security concerns related to air travel have also affected consumers willingness to fly."
Of course. It's so much nicer walking directly into and through a train station and onth a train unmolested by government agents than through today's airports. But again, exactly how much longer is that going to be the case? It's only a matter of time before something happens that pushes governments to make train travel as uncomfortable as plane travel.
Personally, I love travelling by HSR when in Europe. It's so much more comfortable than travelling by plane. But when I do so, it's with the knowledge that it's highly subsidized by European taxpayers with a much lower standard of living than mine.
