Not to mention that the US is going to continue to expand in terms of population. We've added 60 million people in 20 years, nearly equal to the population of France. We'll add another 20+ million in the next decade.
Simultaneously we'll become slightly less rural and more urban in terms of population concentration.
Even if the autonomous electric vehicle has a huge role to play in improving traffic in the US - which it clearly does - high speed rail (whether hyperloop-like, above ground, below ground, whatever) will still make sense alongside that. There is going to be plenty of demand to go around, such that having multiple approaches will be useful. Sometimes the autonomous car will make sense, sometimes rail will make sense.
Simultaneously we'll become slightly less rural and more urban in terms of population concentration.
Even if the autonomous electric vehicle has a huge role to play in improving traffic in the US - which it clearly does - high speed rail (whether hyperloop-like, above ground, below ground, whatever) will still make sense alongside that. There is going to be plenty of demand to go around, such that having multiple approaches will be useful. Sometimes the autonomous car will make sense, sometimes rail will make sense.