Amtrak is setting its sights on high-speed. The government-owned corporation that provides a majority of intercity rail service in the U.S. is forming a High-Speed Rail Department, the primary focus of which will be the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor. The goals are to reduce travel time between Washington, DC and Boston, provide more frequent trains, and study the feasibility of increasing top speeds to 220 miles per hour.
In January, following his State of the Union Address, President Obama announced an $8 billion investment of Recovery Act funds for the development of high-speed rail corridors. The first major projects to receive these funds are in Florida, where planning is underway on a high-speed rail line linking Tampa and Orlando, and California, where planners are working on a project that would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco with trains running up to 220 miles per hour.
The California project, in particular, has been the subject of some criticism lately, as projected ticket prices have nearly doubled, pushing ridership estimates down and raising concern even among some supporters. At issue are financial promises made to voters in 2008 that no local, state or federal subsidies would be required to keep the trains operating. Now some are concerned that the project may require more than the $9 billion in bonds California voters approved.
Other critics suggest the Obama Administration’s relatively paltry outlay of funds for the two massive projects in California and Florida represents a flawed strategy for spending on high-speed rail development. In a blog post for the Progressive Policy Institute, noted rail expert Mark Reutter argues that more funds should have been allocated to these projects to help get them off the ground. And, he points out, many of the other projects in the Obama plan wouldn’t qualify as high-speed rail by international standards.
“Amtrak is the unparalleled leader in high-speed rail operations in America today and we intend to be a major player in the development and operation of new corridors,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting the railroad is the only one in America to operate passenger trains at 150 mph. “New high-speed rail services, linked together with conventional intercity passenger rail and local transit, are a key part of a sustainable future for America.”
Photo courtesy Associated Press