Japan Unveiled New High-Speed Train (today, 5 Mar) 180 MPH

[Shagbark Hickory]

Japan Unveils New High-Speed Train

"Tokyo, Japan (RTV) - Japan is to launch on Saturday, March 5, its newest high-speed train, upgrading it's fleet of bullet trains for the first time in 14 years.

The new aerodynamic green, pink and silver train is named "Hayabusa" or peregrine in Japanese and will be the fastest in the nation at an operating speed of 180 miles per hour." ///sniparoo///

Brief video and full article at
http://www.wltx.com/news/national/article/125552/142/Japan-Unveils-New-High-Speed-Train-

Fellow Americans, this is the cutting edge technology we will probably have to keep dreaming about. Especially as we wait in long lines at airports while we get groped, fondled and sneezed on.

[Horse with no Name]

1. Is this the one Florida declined? n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. But their previous bullet trains went 180mph. I've been on them. I'm confused.

Sometimes the article seems to say that these are just the newer designs and models of the bullet trains, but there is that one line about "the new ... train ... will be the fastest in the nation" not "part of the fleet of the fastest".

Probably just shitty writing from another of our shitty untrained American "journalists".

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. Correct, as explained in the second paragraph. Not a record breaker but

an upgrade none the less.
See they have invested in their infrastructure.
We have invested in oil companies.

Edit:
I would also just add that while this may not be a land speed record or anything,
assuming it didn't stop, one could go from Atlanta to Miami in about 4 hours.
That's a drive I know well, it takes 12 hours by car or for me to fly, it takes:
90 mins to get to airport, 2 hours waiting at airport, 2 hour flight = 5.5 hrs

[Overseas]

3. K&R!

High speed rail could have been one of the things we rammed through if we'd had tough united Democratic legislators ready for our victories.

[SpiralHawk]

4. US Republicons Cringe in Utter Shame & Self-disgust

"America could have had this, but as craven corporate SuckerPuppets, we had to do what we did to try and make American FAIL."

- Republicon SuckerPuppets Against America

[Vinca]

6. Meanwhile, back in the good old US of A, Republicans cut Amtrak funding.

[somone]

7. And Japan has had high speed train service since 1964

47 years

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Amazing, isn't it? nt

[sfpcjock]

8. What goes 180...

and you get a new one every 14 years? Cheap, too: $115 for deluxe seating and free food :) Also, no accidents in an earthquake zone.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. And typhoons as well. Compare to automobile deaths. nt

[Doc_Technical]

11. Knowing how the U.S. works,

the people who want high speed rail don't want to purchase
"off the shelf" another country's system, be it Japan, France,
or Germany, but design and build it here so we will have a
system that costs five times as much and only be half as good
as already existing systems.

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. Hey...

I'll take it!

Anything is better than nothing.
The airlines and oil companies will certainly be able to sculpt any high speed rail so that it isn't too competitive to them.