Building things is good. Or mainly good. Or maybe that’s just concreteness bias, or bias for concrete. Some built things, even if they do work, are a great waste of money and other resources. I expect there will be a big opening ceremony for our first high-speed train, if it ever gets built. On the other hand, given the difficulties experienced by new light-rail services in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, politicians might not risk going on the first trip: it would be embarrassing if the thing broke down and they had to be whisked away on buses, as too often happened with VIA’s slow-speed rail.