this post was submitted on 15 May 2024
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The people in the meme are at about Seattle and NYC, which is a little over 3k miles apart (by car). You'd need to be going 250mph for the entire 12 hours to make that distance. A quick google search says that the maximum operating speed of a bullet train is 200mph, but tests have been conducted at 275mph.
So, you'd need to go non-stop at 125% max speed to make the trip in 12 hours. Even if you went at 275mph, realistically you'd make a lot of stops along the way, which is going to make the average speed a lot lower. Trains are great, but the US is really big.
Bonus fact: a non-stop flight from Seattle to NYC takes about 5.5 hours.
I love me some bullet trains, but there is a certain distance that makes planes way more viable.
There should be a lot more (and higher quality) high speed rail between cities of moderate distance, however.
Chinese high speed train network operates at 120–240 mph, and their maglev (very short, very expensive, very fast train route from Shanghai airport to the city centre) had the record at 268 mph. Plus, railroad may be slightly shorter due to how it is designed if the road isn't near straight already.
But yes, 3000 miles is a lot and maybe 12 hours will not be achievable for a long time yet
3k.miles by car? Are miles by train different?
Yes, it depends on where the roads and rails are built and how direct their paths are.