Having the opportunity to ride the fast 200 mph trains both in Japan and China, I can tell you I became an instant fan despite being skeptical for it here in the US. They have done it right. Cabins and seats are vastly more spacious and comfortable than a plane. Smooth and very quiet. Train station...10 minutes, walk in, buy tickets and enter the train instantly. Guarantee if done right here, you will see a huge popularity and acceptance. I wish everyone who is on the borderline on this effort would have an opportunity to experience before deciding against it. Texas being done privately...
Japan and China citizens do not have property rights.
In order for the high speed rail to go through, they will have to have the right to eminent domain. That power is only reserved for governmental entities. The rail company is private and not a government. Therefore what they are doing is illegal, trying to seize or buy private property for their toy train. Add to that, the rail system will create levees that will foul up drainage and wildlife.
And for what?
Southwest Airlines can get you across the state faster and more efficiently than any rail can. And taxpayers don’t have to pay for it.
We took a bullet train in France. We took the hovercraft from England to France, extremely uncomfortable and boring. Got on the train thinking, now this is going to be better because we will be able to see the country side. As soon as the train got out of town (I forget which town) the train dropped off into a ditch and you saw nothing the entire trip. If you are tourist and you want to see everything you can this would not be the way to do it. As I said earlier I have not made up my mind about this train in Texas.
The drag of the train system cost on their national economy allowed South Korea to catch up economically. They overbuilt in a way.
I mostly rode slower trains because most of my travel was between Gotenba and either Yokosuka, Numazu, or Tokyo.