theguyonthecouch:
"the federal stimulus package includes money for Midwest rail"

How much for tar and feathers?

ja67,

"the federal stimulus package includes money for Midwest rail"

He doesn't have access to Wikipedia or public television? Hasn't he ever watched Thomas the train? He has to go to Spain to "get a feel" for rail? Couldn't he go to the library? Aren't there more than enough "rails" he can feel up around the Madison area? And who did he take with him on this junket? Is he losing whatever tentative grip he might still have on reality? Put the money where it's obviously so desperately needed -- MORE SPECIAL ED (at least -- or is it at most? -- it would keep the special ed teachers off the streets!).

Spanish fly?

Doyle is on drugs!!! Is his term almost up yet?

I am quite impressed Doyle is actively seeking solutions to our multifaceted problems.

I've ridden the Eurostar from Calais-London multiple times, had plenty of experience on Germany's ICE in the past couple years.... about time we'd upgrade our third-world rail systems anyways. Security screening wasn't really an issue-definitely much more convenient than flying.

Our current rails would not be able to take speeds of 120 mile per hour. It's going to cost more to rebult the current system or even more if new rail section has to put in.

And with the current money problems here in Wisconsin, where is the money coming from?

Rail lines cam be more cost-effective in Europe. They have airlines, of course, but being much smaller geographically, trains are more efficient than airlines for short-medium distances.
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Airline schedules are frequently affected by weather - snow, icing, hail, sandstorms, etc., that don't bother trains. Rail stations can be in town, rather than outside of town, cutting down the commute time once you get to the city.
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It would be nice to hear from someone who's ridden high-speed rail in Europe recently. I rode a high-speed train in France, but that was before 9-11, so I don't know how any security screening delays they may have for train passengers compare to the airline screening delays we experience here in the U.S.

Yes, it would be good if they could price it comparable to the Metrarail in Illinois. If they charge a ridiculous amount of money to ride it, it will go to waste, just like the Amtrak train they closed down here in Janesville going to Illinois because it was too expensive. You can ride the metrarail for only $5.00 all weekend.

I think this would be freaking awesome. Milwaukee to Madison in 35 minutes and no chance of traffic? Heck yea. I'd probably even go to Chicago and Minneapolis more often.
Some people just can't see the good in anything.

Boy howdy, I guess there must not be any airlines in Europe or Asia, with all the high-speed rail projects there. Or maybe they've figured out how to make it work.

mark707: ..."the rain in Spain falls mainly on the trains"? Thanks, I forgot that.

This is a great opportunity for all the idled plant capacity in this area. We could start manufacturing big bladders to line all the empty auto rail cars and ship the water to the central valley in California so we won't have to pay so much for arugala AND keep all those milk cows who moved during the winter happier now that they found out it never rains in southern california...

...just thinkin'...

sprout, we could go back to horse and buggy. But wait... the horse might break a leg and they would have to put it down so that would be a bad idea too.

Ah yes, high speed rail from Madison to Minneapolis, so everyone who's no longer shopping at East Towne Mall or West Towne Mall, could be not shopping at Mall of America.
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I like trains and would appreciate a high speed rail system as an alternative to flying, but I don't see it happening in the United States unless enough major passenger airlines go bankrupt and aren't replaced.
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If we could buy Doyle a one-way ticket on the first run, it just might be worth the cost of building a high speed rail system in Wisconsin.

"He went to Spain to try and make business for the state, at least that is what it says in the article."

Yes, and as we all know, the Wisconsin media has never covered for Jim Doyle or tossed him softballs. Let's hope the Gov's "talking up" skills go a little better with the Spanish than they have with all the businesses he's helped to drive out of Wisconsin. All his fast talk didn't do much to keep GM here did it, alas, I forgot, that was all Bush's fault.

Ah yes- "The Rail In Spain
Now Thinks Doyles Insane" Oh What A Pain....... When is the next election? Like Wisconsin is going to put in A High Speed Train, Lets face it Doyles on vacation in Spain and now he talks about trains so he can write the whole thing off.......

hankstevens, don't you remember..."the rain in Spain falls mainly on the trains"?

"Quote=I'm all for a green planet. However, light rail is a giant hoax that makes rail contractors rich and taxpayers poor. Light rail projects have been money losers in cities all over America."

This is not light rail, it is high speed, regional passenger service designed to beat driving times and compete with short haul airlines. Madison-Milwaukee, then on to Chicago/Twin Cities is the perfect place for this. It worked for 100 years and it will work again. The all-automobile culture is not sustainable and we need to move forward with this at long last.

Doyle bringing the manufacturing of the rail cars to this country would be icing on the cake.

I'm all for a green planet. However, light rail is a giant hoax that makes rail contractors rich and taxpayers poor. Light rail projects have been money losers in cities all over America.

Why in the world is the Governor of Wisconsin wasting time viewing rain in Spain. Are we in a drought?

BTW, the Spanish Government paid for Doyle's trip.

Comments from Doyle:
Doyle is also trying to cultivate business partnerships on the trip, and said he has spoken with Spanish business officials about potential partnerships with Wisconsin manufacturers, such as Super Steel in Milwaukee. And he said he has spoken "very specifically" about the idle GM plant in Janesville as a potential manufacturing site for passenger rail cars, though he hasn't given up hope that the auto manufacturer will put the plant back to work.

"I hope GM will be in that plant, and I've had talks with GM in the last couple of weeks even about it. That's still something I haven't given up the possibility of. But if not we need to find another big-time, high-quality manufacturer and it seems to me that rail may be a possible answer," Doyle said.

I took a train from Malaga to I believe Seville. Loved it!!

He went to Spain to try and make business for the state, at least that is what it says in the article.

Last post was to janesvillean

Exactly. I would go to Milwaukee a lot if I could grab a train. It would cut down on drunk driving, especially after a Badger/Brewer game. It might even bring more people out to Bucks games. It puts people to work and in the long run is a solid investment. It has done wonders for Europe. It makes life so much easier.

So, we have NO money and can't balance the budget but our beloved governor can take trips to Spain to review their rail systems. This is the kind of crap that makes me nauseous.

High speed rail is probably the stimulus investment with the largest potential return, but it is for the long-term. We know that the automobile culture is not sustainable.

Oh boy here we go go go I agree with EVERYONES POST'S OH MY did I type that?????

STAY SAFE!!

good old chrome dome

That was great Sannio!

ahhhh...we had this once in this century...what a novel idea. Great way to employee people too. I hope he didnt pay a consulant for this advise.

And just like in that episode of the Simpsons, this is a bad idea. The Gov. is only thinking short-term. He's only thinking about what to buy with the stimulus money. He's not thinking long-term. Or maybe he is: tax us to death to pay for the upkeep.

Jim Doyle for Governor of Spain!

Vacation for the Governor.

Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAk2BBhQm...

Lets see if it works, dont blow this one doyle, your famous for letting good things go.

It about time he started using his head