Fast trains debated for line in Southeast

[Lunican]

Fast trains debated for line in Southeast - High-speed route is envisioned from D.C. to Charlotte and beyond
News & Observer (NC)
By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
October 23, 2007

RALEIGH --It's not going to zip you to Washington, D.C., as fast as the lightning-quick Eurostar train that covers the distance between London and Paris in under three hours.

But someday, speakers at a conference on high-speed rail said Monday, they envision a fast train that can take travelers across the Southeast from Washington, D.C., to Raleigh, Charlotte and points south.

At the daylong conference, rail leaders said rapid passenger trains have to be part of the transportation solution in an area like the Southeast, where massive population growth has outpaced highway construction. Freight train traffic also has increased in the region, showing trains still have a place in modern travel.

But money -- for trains and for roads -- is tight. An estimated $65 billion is needed in North Carolina for new roads and for maintenance on the existing highways. A growing number of state legislative leaders say a special session or blue-ribbon commission is needed to overhaul the way North Carolina distributes money for roads and maintenance.

$7.5 million a mile

Rail supporters emphasized Monday that trains can be a less expensive and more energy efficient solution than highways and airports."Rail is not here to compete, but rather to be included," said Pat Simmons, rail division director for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

In 1992, the federal Transportation Department designated the so-called Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor as one of five high-speed corridors.

It's an expensive project. Reconstructing, upgrading and building rail lines between Washington and Charlotte alone will cost $3.5 billion, about $7.5 million per mile.

But that's still about 30 percent cheaper per mile than interstate highways of similar size, said rail supporters at the conference, hosted by the state chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar.

And, they say, people will ride a train. Last year, more than 567,000 people in North Carolina took the train on trips that averaged about 200 miles in spite of Amtrak's limited service and some reliability problems.

If those people had been on the road, Simmons said, they would have made a noticeable impact on traffic congestion.

Worth the cost?

That's ridiculous, said David Hartgen, professor emeritus at UNCC and a critic of rail revival.

There were about 101 billion vehicle miles traveled in North Carolina in 2005, compared to the roughly 113 million miles people took on trains in 2006.

Rail travel is from a time of the past, Hartgen said. Government shouldn't spend tax money on it.

"If you think this is really cheaper and really so cost efficient, why don't you get a group of people together and build a railroad rather than ask the government to build it," Hartgen said.

High-speed rail, with top speeds at 110 mph, would also mean bigger and better rail lines that could move freight faster.

Four years ago, CSX Transportation mostly avoided passenger rail. Now, it's more interested, said Lisa Mancini, CSX vice president for strategic infrastructure initiatives, because of the growth in freight business and new political pressures to make passenger travel more reliable and convenient.

"We think it's in our strategic interest," Mancini said.

[Jason]

Four years ago, CSX Transportation mostly avoided passenger rail. Now, it's more interested, said Lisa Mancini, CSX vice president for strategic infrastructure initiatives, because of the growth in freight business and new political pressures to make passenger travel more reliable and convenient.

"We think it's in our strategic interest," Mancini said.

That statement should be forwarded to the JTA.

[Lunican]

Rail travel is from a time of the past, Hartgen said. Government shouldn't spend tax money on it.

"If you think this is really cheaper and really so cost efficient, why don't you get a group of people together and build a railroad rather than ask the government to build it," Hartgen said.

It's scary that this guy is teaching. I guess he would argue that more roads is a better and cheaper solution.

[Ocklawaha]

Guys, I've been pounding on this for a couple of years. Posted on it here stating the North East Corridor would be extended to Jacksonville. Everyone laughed it off...Never happened they said, well folks, feast your eyes on their map. BTW, there is a web site too.



Okay, so I added the purple line on the bottom of the map, which SHOULD be fought for by our City, Macon, Atlanta and Valdosta... "If we only had a brain..."

Ocklawaha

[raheem942]

i think we should do it

[Lunican]

It's an expensive project. Reconstructing, upgrading and building rail lines between Washington and Charlotte alone will cost $3.5 billion, about $7.5 million per mile.

I'd say it's a very cheap project. $200 million goes to Iraq every day, for a current total of $436 Billion.

[thelakelander]

Its amazing how $7.5 million can be so expensive for one mode of transit, but nobody makes a comment on spending $40 million of a highway overpass.

[raheem942]

Its amazing how $7.5 million can be so expensive for one mode of transit, but nobody makes a comment on spending $40 million of a highway overpass.

yeah you got a point there