>>1259553>You can fly from LA to SF for $95, how is some meme hsr gonna beat that?It can't right now. Which is why I would suggest placing a lower domestic flight tax for coast to coast flights. The intention isn't to target flying long distances, but rather shorter ones instead.
>hsr gonna beat that?If HSR was to be constructed coast to coast, the best option, in my opinion, would be some kind of sleeper train. The idea would be for the train to leave at around 8:30pm and then arrive the next morning at around 9am. This gives a journey time of about 12 and a half hours.
If the train was to get up to 300 km/h and the track was as straight as possible with the trains running from Washington DC to San Francisco, then the time taken would be possible to cover that distance.
Put in a number of high quality cabins with 2 seats which can convert into 2 beds at night plus a dining car and room service for a dinner and then breakfast the next morning, and you are looking at the option of getting from coast to coast without having to spend extra on a hotel the other end.
Services which already exist like the Trenhotel in Spain, the Sunrise Seto in Japan and the Lapland Express in Finland already show off how sleeper trains can be very spaceous and luxurious. Fit in an en-suite bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink for premium class and have a common shower in a more standard class for each car, and you're looking at maybe one of the more comfortable ways to cross the country in a more environmentally friendly way.
