All Aboard the Railroad Revival

President Obama is asking for $13 billion for a high-speed passenger rail system, saying its creation “will lead to innovations that change the way we travel in America.”

Proposed plans include linking Los Angeles and San Francisco with a high-speed rail that would make it only a two-hour trip. Below is a map of the ten high-speed corridors outlined in the President’s plan.

Train travel is already more popular than most people realize. Amtrak carried nearly 30 million passengers last year, up 11 percent from 2007. The chart below shows a steady upward trend since the mid-1990s.

The fastest growth has been on rail lines linking major cities less than 500 miles apart, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Such routes include the Boston-Washington corridor, the Bay Area to Sacramento and Milwaukee-Chicago.

In its 2009 infrastructure report, the ASCE gave America’s rail network a grade of “C-,” which is mediocre but nevertheless better than the “D” earned by America’s overall infrastructure.

The ASCE estimates that $63 billion in rail investment will be needed over the next five years to meet increasing passenger and freight demand.

About $51 billion has already been budgeted for rails, according to estimates, leaving roughly $12 billion in unmet need. That’s where President Obama’s proposal comes in – if it’s approved, there will be more than enough money for the necessary upgrades.

Comments

[Mark Borkowski:]

Dear Frank:

Excellent piece. Well thought out and insightful.

Mark Borkowski, pres.
Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corp
I King Street West, Suite 714
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 1A1
[phone] ext. 232
[e-mail]

Apr 21 09:01 AM

[john s. gordon:]

in conjunction with the high-speed passenger rail can we please get the u.s postal service to move intercity mail by rail like they used to do 50 yrs ago. it would take a lot of diesel trucks off the roads and save a lot of fuel & rubber. my letter from washington to chicago presently takes minimum of 3 days & often 4.
> jack

Apr 21 09:22 AM

[John Polomny:]

Yes passenger rail riders have increased and Amtrak still loses money. I am for more passenger rail as long as it can stand on its own economics. Currently that is not the case and will not be the case until oil prices rise substantialy and stay high in a resource constrained world.

Apr 21 09:37 AM

[mSkehan:]

Is High-Speed Rail (HSR) worth the investment?
The short answer is a loud YES, and here’s a few good reasons why. Rail is much more fuel-efficient than cars, planes or trucks. Trains use 1/3 less fuel than trucks per ton-mile, half as much fuel per passenger mile over cars and planes, and pollute the atmosphere only half as much.
That may not impress many these days, but if you think oil and gas are past their peak in production, and prices will only climb in the decades ahead, this becomes a really big deal – even threatening our global position as an economic power. Trains are powered by relatively cheap and available diesel, just like trucks and planes, but trains can be converted to overhead electric wires, and powered by emerging alternate energy sources. That’s not an option for planes, or the vast majority of our current auto fleet.
Investments in our nations railroad networks that allow passenger trains to go 110+ mph, through the reduction of bottlenecks, also allow freight traffic to move more efficiently. Improvements to signal, safety, and grade crossings speed up both passenger trains, and freights.
As America moves towards more HSR service, dedicated tracks, with no grade crossings or conflicts with slower freights will emerge in certain corridors, allowing much higher speeds. But first we must walk, before we can run. This can be a huge first step.
Planes, cars, trucks and buses all have their place, each with their own strengths and weaknesses as modes of travel. The HSR initiative will gradually build upon our transportation network, offering alternatives for the future, and we as a nation will be better for it.
President Obama is wise beyond his years to make this investment, and America should thank him for his vision.
Mike Skehan, Member, All Aboard Washington

Apr 21 09:56 AM

[auto44:]

I doubt you could buy the real estate needed for that kind if money much less build the railroad and rolling stock. Green dreams are a long way from reality.

Apr 21 12:53 PM

[wallyjm:]

back jn the 1930's you could go just about everywhere by rail even to smaller hamlets. the detroit clunkers and belching trucks ruined all this happy travel and oh look at us now!

Apr 21 02:13 PM

[john s. gordon:]

mr. skehan -

yes there is nothing more efficient than a steel wheel on a steel rail.
> jack

Apr 21 03:51 PM

[DRW:]

Interesting and encouraging article for the general public, but a follow up distinguishing between freight and passenger rail would help educate John Q about these vastly different businesses. I'm a diehard rail fan who worked in the auto industry for 32+ years. I know both sides of these industries well but it always amazes me how little John Q knows about either. Anything you can do to educate the public about both sides of "rail" helps. Oh and to the one blogger, there is no passenger rail system anywhere in the world that makes money. They are all subsidized in one way or another.

Apr 22 09:59 PM

[Caponer:]

The first thing is engineering. Select a corridor for high speed rail and set a goal of acquiring the land over time. If it cannot be purchased outright; change the law of eminent domain to permit leasing of the land with the rentals based on revenue made from that section of the track for a long term, with the title to pass to the government after a fixed term. Innovative thinking is needed here.

May 04 03:36 AM

[M.R.Lapointe:]

I must agree that the railroad market is one of the most promissing. I own an electronic manufacturing service company and a publishing company. Although both companies in very hard market segments, both are doing well. The electronics around the railroad cars and overhaul systems are constantly growing. Because of this and good customer relations the railroad industry has been indirectly participating in our study growth for the past 4-5 yrs. Again this year we believe to reach another 30% increase in our sales. We believe that rail will undergo even more changes ie security, surveillance etc.which will continue to increase our demand.

Mario Lapointe

May 19 03:07 PM