In that corridor, if the trains were substantially faster for the full corridor, then the trains would attract a larger market share simply because of being quicker, end to end, for many travellers ... and then the increase in patronage would all for a reduction in ticket costs compared to the present, and that would attract higher volume, and that would allow ticket costs to be further reduced.

That's exactly why the 2 hour and 3 hour boundaries are so important. With a central metro point of access and a much shorter check in time because of no serious load balancing problem, you provide a quicker route to some, and that short-circuits the whole "nobody takes it because its more expensive because nobody take it" vicious circle.

New York to Boston is 300km, 187 miles. A VHS train could do the trip in under an hour and a half. You can be an hour and a half getting to La Guardia and getting through the check in and the security line, and still be waiting in line to board the flight.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

The train is ridiculously expensive - which is why I always take the bus. As of a few years ago the Chinese started running buses from Chinatown to Chinatown for next to nothing. Considering the cost of parking in the city (curbside is hard to find and alternate side rules make it very annoying), driving to NYC sounds like an expensive choice, though if it's several people the cost calculations change a lot.