As stated up thread, $7.00 per liter.
Trains work in Europe because they are much smaller than we are (both in Geography and physiology). Travel distances are minimal (What's the driving time from Paris to Munich? 4 hours maybe. Whats the driving time from DC to Chicago? 12 hours?)
They have greatly decreased personal space requirements. Interpersonal space in Germany is about 12" here it is 18" to 24".
They don't mind being crammed into small spaces with lots of stinky people they'd normally not associate with. Because they've been forced to live that way since feudal days. High speed rail is a really cool technoilogy that solves no real world problem. It will NEVER work in these united States outside of theme parks.
ExTxMarine was being sarcastic with his $7.00 per liter. Here are the current prices in London, which are about 1.25 GBP per Liter. 1.25 GBP translates to about $1.82 USD at today's exchange rate, and there are 3.8 Liters in a US Gallon, so that comes to about $6.92 per gallon.
I exaggerated and said $7 per gallon. So shoot me. ;^)
They don't mind being crammed into small spaces with lots of stinky people they'd normally not associate with. Because they've been forced to live that way since feudal days. High speed rail is a really cool technoilogy that solves no real world problem. It will NEVER work in these united States outside of theme parks.America used to have very good rail service. The American highway system was is completely unsustainable and primarily a product of the cold war(it's easy to blow up train tracks, much harder to stop traffic w/ personal vehicles). It will be interesting to see what happens If personal mobility becomes untenable because of energy prices.
We live in a weird and changing world I, for one, have no idea what's going to happen.