China mocks US trains with embassy meme post
China mocks US trains with embassy meme post
China's embassy in Washington, D.C., has shared an image contrasting the country's rail infrastructure with that of the United States in a pointed jab at Beijing's rival amid simmering trade tensions.
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Deservedly so
Our rail system is shit
I think most of the world probably has a better rail system than the US
We are forced to use cars or aircraft
Hey hey, we have shit rail infrastructure also.
Wait seriously? I guess yeah I've never seen rail when I've been in NZ, does the land not really accommodate or something?
So many reasons.
But smallish population and a big distance between major population centers means rail is expensive. Relative to population size.
But also the government (for the last 40 years) hasn't prioritized investment in rail. It is always roads, always.
But smallish population and a big distance between major population centers means rail is expensive. Relative to population size.
This is also true for roads. Prioritizing roads is ideologically motivated.
would airports be better? they have better max distance per cost figures, but are more expensive per passenger.
Flying doesn't need as much infrastructure so that's definitely a factor. I couldn't find the cost per passenger kilometer to compare so I can only say that flying emits much more co2 than every other form of transportation. Since climate change is going to cost us a lot I'd say the cost of flying exceeds the costs of car resp. train infrastructure.
roads and rail also emit co2 though, and require regular maintenance that emits still more. at some point (perhaps it would be less than a flight per year) flying would emit less than the maintenance of infrastructure.
I guess I get it, that still sucks.
The first time I went on opentrainmap and looked at the "electrification" layer I thought there had to be a bug. All my life I had assumed the US had at least some high-voltage main lines but no. Almost 0 overhead lines, basically only metros are electric. My European brain can't comprehend not being able to take a 1h train ride to the next city over