Dear Traintards
Happy Hour Econ Podcast
Why do Americans not choo-choo-choose trains?
In this episode of Happy Hour Econ, Phil Magnus and I climb aboard the great American train debate and ask a simple question: Why does everyone on the internet suddenly want bullet trains?
From my beer-blurred European train adventures to Phil’s deep dive into railroad history, we explore why train travel works in Europe and Japan but struggles in America. Along the way we unpack the real economic factors behind transportation policy, including population density, infrastructure costs, government incentives, and regulatory hurdles.
You’ll also hear:
· Why high-speed rail in California has become one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in the country
· The surprising history of 19th-century railroad corruption and land subsidies
· Why cars and highways became the dominant form of transportation in the United States
· The trade-offs between trains, planes, cars, and emerging technologies like self-driving vehicles
· How government incentives can shape (and sometimes distort) infrastructure projects
A comedian and an economist walk into a bar...
That’s Happy Hour Econ, where I team up with economist Phil Magness for the Free To Choose Network. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.