Not so friendly reminder that musk specifically came up with, and pushed, for hyperloop knowing that it would never be made, as an effort to stop the development of highspeed rail in America and shift all political discussions of it because “something better is around the corner”:

As I’ve written in my book, Musk admitted to his biographer Ashlee Vance that Hyperloop was all about trying to get legislators to cancel plans for high-speed rail in California—even though he had no plans to build it. Several years ago, Musk said that public transit was “a pain in the ass” where you were surrounded by strangers, including possible serial killers, to justify his opposition.

source: new york times

Also: 2024 update, the total length of China’s high-speed rail tracks has now reached well over 45,000 km, or 28,000 miles, by the end of 2023.

They are additionally five years ahead of schedule and expect to double the total number within ten years. And, before someone inevitably complains about “how expensive it is”, they are turning over a net-profit of over $600M USD a year.

Via

    • daniyeg@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      i wouldn’t trust USA to build train rails. have you seen how many derailments and bridge collapses they got?

    • AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      Their HSR has been running a decade at this point, with a better safety record than the US. You don’t have to ‘trust’ them to do anything, it’s already done.

      Yeah the ghost cities are shit, but that’s an entirely different topic

    • drathvedro@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      That’s one bold claim about house building materials in a context where the comparison is with the US…

      I honestly have no idea how them mofos manage to keep straight faces while telling people that their wooden bungaloos are somehow stronger than concrete buildings.

    • Optional@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      Pretty sure if they put a train on styrofoam and flour it wouldn’t work.

      I mean, after it sat there for a few years, people would probably get suspicious.