"Nobody would ride it"

"Americans love their cars. Nobody would take the train." The data says otherwise.

Americans already ride trains when they exist

The Acela between Boston, New York, and Washington is Amtrak's most profitable service. It captures over 75% of the air-rail market between NYC and DC. And that's with trains that average only 83 mph due to track constraints.

Imagine what real HSR could do.

The Northeast Corridor carries more passengers than all flights between its cities combined. People aren't avoiding trains—there just aren't enough good ones.

HSR exceeds projections everywhere

When France opened the TGV between Paris and Lyon:

• Predicted ridership: 14 million per year
• Actual ridership (year one): 15.5 million
• Current ridership: 40+ million

When Japan opened the Shinkansen in 1964:

• Critics said it would fail
• It became the backbone of Japanese intercity travel
• It has never had a single passenger fatality

When Spain built the Madrid-Seville line:

• Air travel on the route dropped 80%
• Total travel (air + rail) increased—HSR grew the market

The "car culture" myth

Yes, Americans drive a lot. But why?

• Lack of alternatives: Try getting from Dallas to Houston without a car
• Subsidized driving: Free parking, cheap gas (compared to Europe), highway expansion
• Land use: Development patterns that require cars

When alternatives exist, Americans use them. New York has robust transit—and low car ownership. When Amtrak offers decent service, people ride.

The question isn't whether Americans like cars. It's whether they'd choose a faster, more convenient option if it existed.

Build it and they will come

This isn't blind faith—it's what the evidence shows:

• The California HSR project already has demand studies showing 30+ million annual riders
• Texas Central's Dallas-Houston line projects 6+ million riders annually
• Every HSR system in the world has met or exceeded ridership projections within a few years of opening