With rising gas prices, will trains ever be a realistic alternative to flying when traveling within the USA?

Question

Gas prices keep rising and now airlines are making customers pay to check their bags. Why do you think it is that in the USA we have yet to switch or at least revive our rail-system? Japan ad Europe have high speed trains and they are a great cheap alternative to flying. Of course you are going to have to fly for international travel, but imagine if Canada and the USA were connected by high speed rail! Awesome I say.

Answer 1

i think if the rail industry could come up with some higher speed methods of transport, i'd be all for it!  I looked into rail travel for my last trip, but unfortunately the time it took was longer than it would have taken to drive there, and it wasn't going to be possible for me, but if they find a way around that, i would take a train every time!

Answer 2

The problem with rail right now is they are spending billions into infrastructure to improve what has been in states of disrepair for years due to the goverment regulation and currently very high speed "public" transportation is not a priority.  Now with the sheer amount of intermodal traffic, railroads are ensuring that their rail system can handle 85 mph traffic which could be the stepping stone to high speed rail.  If the govermnent wanted people to minimize driving to help ease the oil crunch along with reducing global warming, they would get funding, real funding to explore and get into motion a countrywide high speed rail service that would make sense for Americans.