The above is misleading. Passenger rail in the US includes ALL pax transported by rail...u r ONLY talking about Amtrak, and leaving out the systems that carry the most by rail in the US.

Also, the Amtrak system is crap. The US had THE BEST high speed rail network in the world, and then we decided to quit doing it, and switch everyone to automobiles. We don't even have one single high speed rail system in the US. For efficient pax train travel, you need high speed rail. High speed rail uses exclusive tracks (not used also by freight trains) that have no rail/road crossings. If a track has to cross the path of a road, either the rail or roadbed goes over the other mode of travel, thus eliminating the possibility of road/rail collisions.

High speed rail is THE most efficient pax system, from about 150-650 miles in length. Above that air travel is more efficient.

Second verse, same as the first:


Man killed by commuter train in Mansfield - The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe › 2018/04/02 › story
Apr 3, 2018 · A man was struck and killed by a Providence-bound MBTA commuter train in Mansfield on Monday night, officials said. The man was hit around 9:30 p.m. near Norfolk Street, according to the ...
Man carrying bicycle struck and killed by commuter train in Ayer | masslive.com
MassLive.com › index.ssf › 2018/05 › m...
May 2, 2018 · A man carrying a bicycle was struck and killed by an MBTA commuter trail while walking on the tracks near the Ayer station Wednesday afternoon.
Man killed by commuter train in Cambridge – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News - WHDH.com
WHDH › news › one-man-dead-after-bei...
Jan 21, 2018 · CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Boston-area transit police say a man has been struck and killed by a commuter train in Cambridge. Police, firefighters and emergency medical crews ...
Woman Killed by Commuter Train | Florida News | US News
U.S. News & World Report › articles › w...
Mar 8, 2018 · DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a woman is dead after being hit by a Florida commuter train.
........


Stop drinking the koolaid and do some actual research.

Yeah, rail is not particularly safe in the US, for pax or the public.

That train already left the station. The NIMBY's would never allow imminent domain for new dedicated rail in the high-density areas where it would be economical. The only way would be underground rail $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Boring, get it?

I just looked at some stats:

In the US:
Flying is safest
Then Bus
Then rail. Rail is MANY times safer than automobile.
Autos
Motorcycles

Worldwide, airline travel is safest, then rail.

In Japan, however, rail is THE safest mode of transportation. They have had ZERO fatalities in their high speed rail network, since Day One! Amazing!

To be fair, if they let people freely walk across runways at airports there'd be plenty of deaths. That's a design problem, not an operation problem.

EXACTLY!

For safe rail transit, the train needs to be elevated, or underground.

Japan is putting in a maglev train from Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka. The Tokyo-Nagoya route is costing them about $1BILLION USD per mile...they have 47? major tunnels on that route, due to their geography. They did the math, and realized that this expense will save their government a TON of money, due to increased efficiencies in their transportation infrastructure.

Meanwhile, US airports, seaports, waterways, ATC, roads, bridges, etc., etc. are crumbling into dust.

Interesting thread drift.
You guys get any further negotiations scheduled?

Listen here Sheldon Cooper....this obsession with trains is nice and all, but you really should use all that intelligence on string theory.