Posted on 01/25/2010 8:53:31 AM PST by Willie Green
TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Central Japan Railway Co (JR Tokai) will join rivals in competing to develop a high-speed railway line in the U.S. state of Florida, as the former state-owned firm looks to sell its super-fast train systems overseas.
A consulting firm hired by the company said a railway line connecting Tampa, Orlando and Miami in Florida was one of the most promising targets for its Shinkansen bullet trains as the route would be exclusively used by high-speed trains.
"I expect competition for the contract to be fierce in Florida. We will be the last to join the bidding," JR Tokai's Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai told a news conference. "But I believe our Japanese system will be the most suitable for the line."
Kasai did not say which other firms were competing for deal, although JR Tokai's global rivals include Canada's Bombardier, Germany's Siemens and France's Alstom.
U.S.-Japan High-Speed Rail, the consulting firm working for JR Tokai, also said that lines between Las Vegas and Los Angeles could be candidates for the company's products.
~~~SNIP~~~
The United States' railway market is typically viewed as one of the most promising as President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package includes an $8 billion provision for high-speed trains.
(Excerpt) Read more at in.reuters.com ...
Go for it !
Just don’t ask for a subsidy from me.
They are not asking you for a subsidy, they are taking it at gunpoint.
Typical Obama jobs plan; Japan, Germany, Canada et al will compete for the project!!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
You may be on to something.
Supposedly the reason Obama and Biden are coming to Florida this week is to get in on the announcement of this boondoggle.
It takes an hour or so to drive from Orlando to Tampa, big deal. Tell me how many people are going to fork over $$$ so they can get there faster on a train, and then be stuck in Orlando/Tampa w/out a car, forcing them to rent one (neither Orlando or Tampa has any decent mass transit.) It just doesn’t make sense...what a waste.
Just what we need, more hugely expensive, fixed route transportation systems that can never recoup what it costs to make or run them. Real 21st century thinking here.
I don’t like to go fast, I miss too many great photo ops!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
No one is going to ride it!
“JR Tokai”
Rord of the Lings!
If it can’t pay for itself how can it ‘work’? Any other business we call that failure.
And I don’t think they are going to have the ridership numbers to get people out of their cars. What do you do when you get to your destination and have to get to where you’re going 5-10 miles away?
And besides, can you point to any number of citizens or citizens’ groups that are saying what we really need more than anything else in our communities is high speed rail? The public isn’t falling all over itself for this. They want taxes to go down, they want police and fire and lower municipal costs. They want the roads paved and repaired so that they can get to work and get to where they need to without damaging their vehicles.
All these rail systems never work out as projected. They are scams and all they do is suck money that could be spent on more practical things in a community and region due to both initial construction and then, forever, maintenance, repairs, replacements and upgrades.
It takes an hour or so to drive from Orlando to Tampa, big deal. Tell me how many people are going to fork over $$$ so they can get there faster on a train, and then be stuck in Orlando/Tampa w/out a car, forcing them to rent one (neither Orlando or Tampa has any decent mass transit.)
Tampa/Orlando has some of the worst traffic congestion / gridlock in the nation.
Why would tourists want to keep coming to Central Florida to be trapped in a rental car alon I-4 for half their vacation.
Build the train to alleviate the traffic congestion.
Rord of the Lings!
ROR!!!
This fast train is another cash for clunkers. Remember how the clunker deal helped Japanese and Korean car makers more than US car companies? Now US and Florida tax dollars will buy a fast train made in Japan and probably with some Chinese components. These Omama subsidy deals seem to help foreign businesses more than our US businesses.
Just tell us, WHO will be using this train, YOU???
“... how can it ‘work’?”
Bend over.
Obama is expected to pledge billions of our Tax dollars for this high speed train to Disney World when he and Biden visit the Tampa Bay area this Thursday.
From an earlier topic:
“The subject of President Obama’s speech here is still officially a mystery, but leaders like Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor are confident they have it figured out.
“The President’s stimulus plan included billions of dollars to fund high speed rail projects; the money is planned to be spread out across the country and officially awarded sometime soon.”
Not to worry! Ole Chollie Crist will take care of getting the necessary TARP funds when Bowrama and Biden visit Tampa Thursday. The train to nowhere!....and, back.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.