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.
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.
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.
This is also true for roads. Prioritizing roads is ideologically motivated.
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