Good thought exercise over on reddit - if you could create one high speed rail route in US between two cities, what would it be?
I linked the thread, but the constraints that poster gave were:
- The route must connect exactly two metropolitan areas (no branching lines).
- The distance must be at least 150 miles and no more than 800 miles.
- You may include up to two intermediate stops, but they must lie naturally along the route.
- Assume realistic constraints (budget, terrain, political feasibility), but you don’t need exact cost estimates.
Barstow to Las Vegas. Lots of open space that is mostly desert, so there will be a relatively minimum amount of right of way and environmental issues. This is a popular route, and should generate a reasonable amount of revenue. Two states are involved so financing and risk would be shared. Once fleshed out, it can be expanded to connect Barstow to LA, San Diego, and San Francisco. Vegas can expand to Reno, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.
I like that. And Brightline is actually building a high speed line from Vegas to LA, so in a few years maybe it will be finished!
My answer just due to personal connections would be Boston to Detroit, cutting through Canada. And you could have it stop in Buffalo and Albany