[canucklehead2]

I think it's wrong to look at HSR as a profitable business like a busline or airline, but rather a development and economic tool, more like an inter-provincial highway network...

Sure the upfront cost may be steep, but the long-term pay off will be even larger... And even with a say $50 billion price tag... (which would pay for a very large network) over a 10-20 year span, the price isn't that large... Especially if it can revitalize a large section of the nation...

Another way to look at it would be an inter provincial mass transit line akin to a subway or Go Train... Just think of the possibilities it could open up... People could say live in London or Kingston and work in Toronto or Ottawa...