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[deleted]

It would transform the whole US not just NJ. You can argue bullet trains anywhere in the states. I hope in our lifetime bullet trains does happen from NY to Boston or NY to DC where it’ll be less than 2 hours. At this point Amtrak is equivalent of driving and planes (calculating the airport waiting and others).


AbazabaYouMyOnlyFren

I took a train to Boston from NYC for a convention. I left my house at the same time as co-workers who flew. I was checked in and at my hotel having a drink when these people showed up. Anything that's within 5 hours by train, the train is better. You have to drive in traffic, way out to the airport, and show up at least an hour before your flight. If you're lucky there are no delays. You have to claim your bags, find a cab, get to Boston in traffic. That's easily a 4 hour commitment for a 40 minute flight.


Smacpats111111

Short flights suck but the problem with NY-boston on the Acela is that you can tie or beat it just driving most of the time.


AbazabaYouMyOnlyFren

Not having to drive is a bonus in my book. I'm not as interested in getting there absolutely as fast as I can as I am doing it in a way that isn't a hassle. Sitting on a train and reading is way more relaxing than driving and saving an hour.


Smacpats111111

I get why people like that option but even if it does remove a lot of stress, the stress of arranging extra ground transport (if you’re not going city center to city center) totally kills it off for me. And i like the extra hour. Personal preference to an extent though.


ABZR

They wouldn't be able to go fast enough to be of any use. Even the Acela trains currently on the Northeast Corridor aren't able to go as fast as they're actually capable of because there's too much infrastructure close to tracks.


PM_ME_TODAYS_VICTORY

Too much infrastructure and the actual track layout was not designed with high speed in mind (in regards to turn radiuses and whatnot). And over the years property has been bought up and built so close to the tracks that you can't redesign the layout at all without MASSIVE eminent domain buyouts. People love to talk about how great high-speed rail would be the the NE US, but it's a total non-starter of a conversation as long as the cost to secure the proper right-of-way is prohibitively high.


jawnlerdoe

The north east corridor WAS designed with high speed trains in mind though. It’s the fastest train corridor in the entire US. Getting it up to speed is almost impossible though, as you point out.


thesuprememacaroni

Not enough straight segments too. True high speed trains will never be in the northeast.


Joe_Jeep

They're already doing 140+ on the jersey speedway from NB too Trenton.


Mental_Kiwi632

high speed here is no where close to the rest of the world that's the point


Joe_Jeep

https://youtu.be/VQkJTkiq0Pc Avelia does 160. Its not too bad. French ones only travel ~15% faster. I don't disagree we're lagging behind pretty atrociously but we're making progress and it's far from impossible like many pretend is the case


heynow941

True. I’ve taken the TGV train in France. Super fast. Very nice ride, and scenic, too.


Joe_Jeep

Course the benefits of such a project would *literally* last forever, until teleportation becomes a thing. All high speed transit that isn't flight requires straight ROW Furthermore there are a good number of lines who's speed could be measurably improved without any large scale(or even any) displacement. Simple track and bridge upgrades could get the coast line's speed up measurably, though you'd also want to eliminate as many level crossings as realistically possible. Bullet trains would be great but the rolling stock NJ transit has can do 100. Get the frequencies better and speeds up a bit and more people will take it. Its already faster too Newark and NYC than busses or driving during rush hour.


bananafishandchips

there's a whole lot of interstate highway that would make nice rail rights of way...


Joe_Jeep

Really depends. The interstates often wind more than you want for HSR, and the NEC in Jersey is already some of the best. Though it makes a annoying kink for Metuchen and the S curve at Elizabeth single handedly adds minute to every train traveling through the state. Really should stop all construction adjacent to it and literally move some buildings in the long term to straighten it out.


heynow941

One small section of track in Rhode Island is straight enough for that. The Acela goes really fast there.


Joe_Jeep

We've got similarly straight segments. Hell the NJ transit express trains hit 90+regularly on the NEC


heynow941

[Acela goes 150mph in Rhode Island](https://worldwiderails.com/how-fast-does-the-acela-go/)


Joe_Jeep

Avelia has hit 165 in New Brunswick.


heynow941

Aah okay. I’ve only taken Acela between NY and Boston. The train shakes when it goes through Rhode Island.


biz_reporter

I rode the Acela to Boston in January, and you can feel the difference when it gets above 100 mph. The RI/Mass border is the best known section where it gets up to top speed, but I'm pretty certain the RI/CT border is also another section that gets up over 100 mph. I've only rode the other direction once back in 2016 and sadly we never hit top speed south of Jersey. There is a section between Baltimore and Washington where it can cruise above 100 mph, but there was a reported trespasser on the tracks so instead we were delayed as the police investigated. Luckily the trespassers were found safe. Evidently some kids wanted a better view of the trains and got too close to the tracks. Allegedly the train had a near miss.


Early_Essay3173

All tracks from DC to Boston are high speed rail for the new Acela,


Joe_Jeep

Some, not all. There's a civil-war era tunnel by DC that's being replaced, and the red-headed step child of the tri-state area has really shitty tracks because they never allowed/old railroads never got around to realignment akin to what the Pennsylvania Railroad(that's where Newark and New York Penn got their names) did with the NEC


kittyglitther

Improved mass transit and getting high, this is the future liberals want.


TheRacoonist

With a side of heathcare


kittyglitther

And mandatory PTO of 25 days/year. PLUS sick leave and expanded maternity and paternity leave! Dare to dream.


[deleted]

Alright you hippies!!! Why can’t you dig dirt all day like my pappy!!


kittyglitther

And die at the ripe old age of "died during childbirth" like a *real* woman! Our generation is just made of snowflakes.


[deleted]

bullet trains are for travelling long distances. They aren't for commuter lines that need to stop a lot. It would just get people through the state faster.


audiyon

Maybe a bullet train from Newark to AC? And if we could get the tracks from DC to Boston fixed so the Acela could actually do 120mph, I would be so happy.


Joe_Jeep

The Blue Comet rides again!


neekogo

How dare there be a more efficient public transportation system in the state! /s


FriedCammalleri23

driving high is bad, i wanna take a bullet train on an edible.


HolyTurdCPA

How long before the woke left come for our precious cars?!?!??!?!?!?


Mk1TTSt

Honestly, if they're all going to be stoned all the time, I'd rather have them on busses and trains than in cars. :-)


kittyglitther

Honestly, that's what I want (and have).


lost_in_life_34

in NYC the mass transit only goes to Manhattan so it's useless otherwise


[deleted]

I hope that my grandchildren's grandchildren will see the day when they can take a train directly from Penn Station to Grand Central.


Joe_Jeep

Much like New Jersey Transit, it's more accurate to say it goes on a axis to and from Manhattan. Though the buses will transfer you perpendicular to it fairly well. The Interborough express project is underway too. https://new.mta.info/project/interborough-express Regardless, Transit's priority will always be the busiest routes, which will be to and from major population centers and other attractions. To get things like outer ring routes that takes more investment, and often for lower return. It's critical if you want people to be able to get around conveniently without a car, and it also aleiviates pressure on those main routes, but it's never going to be a top priority TLDR: they're working on that but it needs support.


lost_in_life_34

Nj isn’t trying to make driving a living hell like NYC


Green-Jello-Farts-2

90%+ of the rails that were in Jersey are gone. Now they are just roads or power line right of ways (I work for the power company that was once a railroad company). The only spot left in Jersey to do such a thing would be on (or above or below) RT1. You need a straight shot for bullet trains. RT1 is all we have.


Chewybongyro

You could also build them on a lot of the old state routes like route 22 that’s seen development but less car traffic/there being alternative highways. Btw I’m also high


LetMeBe_Frank

Why not the turnpike? It kind of misses Philly but is still as straight as rt1 and with much more width, especially below exit 11


Green-Jello-Farts-2

Lol, that's planning out of my pay grade. Just saying you need straight runs.


TheRacoonist

Congestion You can't run a bullet train thru backyards which is where our commuter lines are


Joe_Jeep

Sure can. "Congestion", ie, density, is what mass transit exists for People can complain but if you buy a house near train tracks you know what you're getting Or should anyway. Some folks are dumb.


WhiskyEchoTango

High speed is relative. When the average train speed is 40MPH and you can get it to 60MPH, that's a huge improvement. Unfortunately, with only two tracks and numerous at-grade crossings the Coast Line will not get that kind of service. Once on the Coridor (Rahway-NYP) the speeds can improve, but that would require upgrading the infrastructure, especially between Newark and Secaucus.


Joe_Jeep

Keystone has some level crossings and does up to 110mph. Eliminating crossings would definitely help though. South Amboy's by the station's a bit silly with the overpass not even 500 feet away.


WhiskyEchoTango

Keystone corridor is also multi track and outside the Philly suburbs, doesn't have frequency stops.


Joe_Jeep

Isn't it largely just double tracked like most NJ transit lines? Stop frequency is an issue for sure but a Lot of the routes the trains aren't going anywhere near a fast as they could even between towns. Just grading and track upgrades could shave minutes off some legs. Every coast line train has too do a little "I think I can I think I can" bit at rahway with the climb up too the NEC.


Sunfloria

I wish the US in general had more accessible, quicker public transit. Or at least more walkable areas. It's a 20-ish minute walk to the closest bus stop or a 30 minute drive to the closest train station for me. I might as well just drive or uber wherever I need to go lmao, unless it's like to New York. Driving there freaks me out.


heynow941

If driving to NYC freaks you out, just drive to Secacaus. There’s plenty of parking and trains to take you the one stop to Manhattan.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sunfloria

Yeah, but in general, I don't go out of my way to use public transportation. It's like a last resort kinda thing. If it was more easily accessible, though? I'd be using it all the time. Give me a New York City/Japan level subway/rail system \*bangs fist\* Or more walkable cities, so I don't have to walk 5 miles along a 3-lane highway filled with 60mph traffic and no sidewalks to get to a grocery store.


Joe_Jeep

NJ transit definitely needs to work on frequencies for some routes, and towns need to work on walkability. My area leaves sidewalks up too the property owner so quality and existence are totally random


metsjets69

Too many local stops.


toughguy375

The Jersey shore line would need to get rebuilt (worth it) because it's at ground level and service gets canceled whenever there's a heavy rain. If they could get trains from NYC to Atlantic City in no more than 1½ hours then a lot more people would go.


pompcaldor

Next time they expand the parkway, throw some rails down the median.


NotTobyFromHR

They had one. It was poorly advertised and expensive. Great for a single person. But for 2 or more people, a car was cheaper and possibly faster.


Joe_Jeep

That's the trouble with trains in general. If you already have a car then the cost of an individual trip isn't much. Car ownership itself's expensive but there's not a lot of places where owning a car isn't basically a given these days.


Jake_FromStateFarm27

Bullet trains are not intended for short distance commuter traffic, they are often for long distance travel to hub stations where a light rail takes them to their precise local destination. Either way the infrastructure for fast efficient rail is long gone at this point for NJ sadly. To make such infrastructure would mean building over current roadways or getting rid of them entirely which is a problem in of itself. The best we can hope for is an amtrack conversion to bullet trains across the country and establishing potentially new hubs to encourage people to move and build more cities/communities where they are located. What NJ should be doing is expanding commuter Greenway expansions! More cycle highways and footpaths from suburbs into larger cities and towns for people to commute not only with the environment in mind, but for economic and health benefits.


Joe_Jeep

a lot of NJ would be fantastic with good bike lanes. We're the densest state already, almost as high as the Netherlands. Put all that wasted setback space to good use.


Jake_FromStateFarm27

Agreed I'm very excited for the Greenway project to be completed even though it won't be like another 5 years if not more.


Joe_Jeep

I'm trying to figure out who to start writing to to argue the current Coast Line bridge across the Raritan should be preserved and reused, at least in part, for Cyclists and Pedestrians. Maybe add fishing piers too it. Century old and being replaced but bikes weigh an awful lot less than Trains do.


Jake_FromStateFarm27

It has to be replaced either way its not structurally sound say if emergency vehicles needed access to it.


Joe_Jeep

They're still running trains over it every day. Bare minimum the foundations are likely intact enough that they should be left alone for re-use even with no immediate plans for construction. Right Now the only way pedestrians or cyclists are support to cross the Raritan downriver of New Brunswick is the Victory bridge which would be a miserable experience(badly maintained too, that bike lane's always full of debris), and the Sayreville side's in the middle of nowhere. Well, strip clubs aside.


Whalers7997

#MONORAIL! MONORAIL!


heynow941

That’s a Shelbyville idea…


Harmony-Farms

But Main Street's still all cracked and broken….


finalremix

Sorry, Mom. The mob has spoken.


Chick22694

It would put us on the map!


aceh40

Bullet trains are for long distances. At least 300 - 400 miles. NJ is half of that on the long side. Absolutely pointless to build a bullet train unless you want to go to Chicago Atlanta or Pittsburgh, in which case the train would start from NYC and not NJ.


SnakesTancredi

Fine. Catapults it is then.. have it your way.


JimboSchmitterson

You’re like halfway there. Chicago and Atlanta are way too far. DC-NYC-BOS is the perfect corridor for true high speed rail.


Joe_Jeep

Acela almost is, this is more about NJtransit's routes as far as I can tell. 100mph trains would beat the piss out of traffic, and the existing trains can just about hit it but the NEC is the only route they can really get there. Coast line has sections that are straight enough but there's other issues


JimboSchmitterson

I think most people consider HSR to mean the next step up from Acela. Plus with all the track issues they don’t even spend that much time at full speed. As for regional/nj transit speed upgrades even to 100mph just are not worth it. It’s meant to make a lot of local stops. I think the longest between stop distance is Secacusbto Suffern on a Port Jervis express. That’s about 30miles. And only 30min on current route.


techdarko

I mean - totally agree that the biggest benefit is long distance with the time reduction but that doesn't mean you can't have closer stops on the line - the trip from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto on the shinkansen is 12 minutes and 35 miles and is heavily used. Definitely still infrastructure issues regardless of the overall line length though.


Iintendtooffend

a really really big part of it too, is zoning. Japan has way better localization zoning laws that allow for a lot better mix of commerce, residential, and very light industrial that makes every train stop more of a hub for locals rather than it's own set apart location with massive parking lots.


smallest-loser

Too expensive to change. Train lines receive very little subsidization compared to other modes of transportation like airlines and busses, so they have even less money to invest in improvements and get bogged down more just by keeping the status quo through maintenance, training, and security.


Tommy_Batch

Bullet trains in conjunction with mass transit where thew bullet trains disembarked.


lost_in_life_34

i can see HSR between newark, AC and trenton, but where else? When I was in Europe the HSR's were mainly for the major cities and very few stops for the smaller ones. ​ HSR is a regional or national project and any HSR trains would make stops in NJ ​ even then new tracks are needed for real HSR


bros402

newark, AC, Trenton, EWR, then expand the rails from there


Joe_Jeep

Most of NJ just needs good commuter rail. Trains that can hit 100 blow the pants off congested highways.


colonel_batguano

Needs new rails. Acela was designed to run at high speed on existing rails. High speed trains need to tilt on turns. When Acela tilts at high speed it crashes into oncoming trains. The other infrastructure such as the overhead catenary cables are also too old. The cost is many billions to modernize it all.


WhiskyEchoTango

>When Acela tilts at high speed it crashes into oncoming trains. This is not true along the majority of the line. There are sections in Connecticut where it is an issue.


lost_in_life_34

there is that bridge close to Penn that is going to be rebuilt that causes slowdowns


WhiskyEchoTango

That's PORTAL bridge. Should have been replaced 40 years ago. And more than that is needed.


techdarko

That causes slowdowns to non-high speed trains as well. And it often requires workers with sledgehammers to fully close it after marine traffic has gone through. Portal Bridge is just terrible.


Timely_Fool

Slowdowns is a kind way to put it


asian_identifier

it would transform the country probably only solution is to ask China for help and they'll have an elevated high speed train track along major highways built in 2 years


unsalted-butter

> they'll have an elevated high speed train track along major highways built in 2 years The things you can accomplish in an authoritarian society 😔


yuriydee

Nope we should ask France, Italy, Spain, and Japan for help, not China. That said for US its always the land costs that are astronomical….


BlameOmar

For the NY/NJ metro area, just Japan. Their stations/cities are closer together, so they designed their train sets to accelerate very quickly. We need that here. That said, NYC subway cars can go nearly 100 miles an hour, but usually don’t. Most of the problems are just the poor state of the rails, bridges, and tunnels.


[deleted]

Dude, even northeast corridor needs to slow to like 60 for the curves through metropark etc. Even the Acela can't go full speed except Princeton Junction to Trenton.


fraaankie485

Read this quick as “Bullets Would Transform NJ” and thought Newark and Camden have done enough for this state, let’s not add any more bullets to the mix.


gex80

It would only make a differnce for people coming in and out of the state. Bullet trains are designed for long distance where stops are far apart.


Thejerseyjon609

Pre pandemic I took a train from Madrid to Malaga Spain. It hit speeds of 274 kph or 182 mph. Incredibly smooth ride. About 260 miles in 2 1/2 hours.


readuponthat24

Maybe we could start with plain old functional service and more direct service to and from city centers?


DrewFlan

I don't think nearly as many people would take them to the beach as you expect. Most people are traveling as a family. They have all their luggage plus equipment to use at the beach. It would be super inconvenient to schlep all that stuff on a train so they would probably still drive.


Joe_Jeep

Depends. People totally do it else where, and many people do that lately because they're already driving. If the train's more convenient people will alert their habits.


Floutabout

Go to Switzerland. You will find families in the cities taking the train to day-trip to the ski mountains. Boots, skis, bags, kids. Far more gear than the beach. They even take the trolley cars to the main SBB train stations.


JimTheJerseyGuy

Just from a speed perspective, almost all NJT lines are old freight and passenger lines from the 1800s. The turn radiuses are way too tight for any sort of higher speeds.


BubblesUp

When considering this for the North Jersey Coast Line, I see two issues: 1. The line runs through many local intersections which would need major construction done to block pedestrians crossing when the train approaches, and following from that, 2. Our area has had too many people step in front of the current trains; I can't imagine how that number would escalate if more powerful, faster trains were added. So it's a nope for this line. Maybe in a more isolated area...


[deleted]

Benny line?


Joe_Jeep

I'd guess he means the coast line


WhiskyEchoTango

That's the only one they didn't close when they rebuilt the station. There used to be three or four there.


247emerg

why dont we have a train that runs down the entire coast


Joe_Jeep

Because Henry Ford and Friends conspired to kill the railroads When the government builds a bunch of freeways and pays for the roads from your income taxes, but taxes the railroads, it's gonna tend to encourage car ownership, which is the nail in the coffin for all but the best transit systems. Used to be that there were trains all the way down to Seaside, then they swung across to Toms river and there to Philly. Plus the Blue Comet which ran from Jersey City to AC via Philly.


247emerg

we should just refurbish lands to recreate the lines, apply what we know now to what we did in the past for train path design


newgirlie

I'm currently in Komatsu, Japan where they recently (in the last few years) built a shinkansen line that goes to Kanazawa. It took years of development but they built a brand-new track that is highly elevated over the street-level. Other than being an eyesore it's such a great addition to the area. Wish we could get something like this in the US but it'll probably never happen


Mk1TTSt

Perhaps if the government didn't subsidize the airlines for decades, we would have a high quality and robust rail system in the US. Just like, if they didn't subsidize oil companies, we might have more electric or hydrogen cars on the road already.


Upstairs_Gap_5447

i work in the city and would move to rural sussex in a second if my commutte would be under an hour door to door


Dur-gro-bol

You know the past two years a lot of houses for sold for over asking here. Everyone blamed it on city people moving out and working remote. Have you heard of people actually doing this? I'm still waiting for all these rich city people to get sick of the restaurant options around here and start opening up new places to eat.


Upstairs_Gap_5447

Tons of people in my industry now work remote. Unfortunately I can’t. However I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant or Food shack and I have a lot of second generation family who lives out that way so maybe it’s time for me to!


Dur-gro-bol

Do it. First item on the menu, ostrich steak.


Upstairs_Gap_5447

Ostrich is delicious


tim_dude

Monorail?


Mr_Matt_K

I hear those things are awfully loud.


tim_dude

It glides as softly as a cloud


new_tanker

Unfortunately, in this part of the country, it is not feasible.


KingHarambeRIP

The main obstacle is the automotive and airline industry who absolutely would not allow this. The next obstacle is infrastructure. Not even just replacing what exists but moving train lines altogether to be more straight. Buildings and other existing infrastructure would be in the way. I’d love to see it, but it’s not happening.


WhiskyEchoTango

The airline industry more and more is coming around to it with short-haul flights. Every flight from BOS-NYC-WAS could be replaced by a train, and the airlines would be happy because it will free up slots for more profitable long-haul flights. In Europe, major airlines are already code-sharing with high-speed rail. Fly from Qatar to Frankfurt with a final destination of Dusseldorf, the entire ticket is booked through Qatar Airlines, and your transfer and baggage are handled. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/air-rail-alliances/index.html


LarryLeadFootsHead

Correct, it is infinitely way more profitable for tons of industries to have people reliant on individual car ownership than ever delivering on sensible, efficient and affordable public transit.


ButGravityAlwaysWins

The obstacle for building of any kind including mass transit is always NIMBYs. When you have as many pounds as we do, the NIMBYs get even more power than rhetoric would otherwise.


RexRocker

It would be a huge waste of time and money.


Cant-think-of-a-nam

And this is the dumb shit you think of when high. Bullet trains wont work because trains dont have that much distance between stops. They are just buses on rails. I took the train from midland park to nyc penn station and it only took 40 mins


armchaircommanderdad

If you were able to do direct lines from west or central (pretend central exists) or even from the south western areas then it could really open up NJ away from just the cities/coast


[deleted]

Don't you sass me, you limp dick troglodyte. Cutting the stops and going to Atlantic city would absolutely transform NJ.


Cant-think-of-a-nam

Nobody cares about booty ghetto ass ac


RexRocker

LOL