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[-] troyunrau@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 weeks ago

Japan is smaller than California, with several times the population density.

Reframe your thoughts as: taxpayers per mile of track. Then begin to understand.

[-] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago

Japan still runs trains to areas where there's 1 village every 15-20 miles. Single track, that splits at the odd unmanned platform so people can board and trains can pass each other, and they have a train like every 10-15 minutes.

The USSR didn't even bother with the platforms sometimes, just had a guy driving a locomotive by a bunch of villages every few hours, stopping any time he saw a farmer who had to take some cows to market or whatever.

Roads are expensive to build and maintain, cars are expensive to build and maintain. Every trip taken on a train or bike instead of a car saves the tax payers money.

[-] brotundspiele@feddit.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

Japan finds solutions, America finds excuses.

You have enough taxpayers to build 26 lane highways in California, but you're telling me you don't have enough money to build a 2 lane HSR?

[-] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Sorry, I'm not American. Looking at it from the outside. There are a lot of things America can do better.

But from a purely math perspective, it's a good metric to explain why Japan has what it has.

[-] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

They have it because they spent more money on rail and less on highways compared to the US. They chose the better infrastructure.

[-] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

If you tax billionaires more you can pay for the high speed rail

[-] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Or healthcare. Or whatever else. Yes.

But you've already lost the war against the capital class and are left dreaming.

[-] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

Sure thing bub

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

It's not like everyone in the country needs to ride it daily. The US has plenty of people. You connect population centers. And if you can build on flat land rather than Japan's mountains, you're on easy mode. Really you're the one that needs to reframe things.

this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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