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President Obama’s $787 billion economic recovery bill dedicates $8 billion to High Speed Rail, most of which was added in the final closed-door bargaining session. In that manner, Obama prevented anti-train politicians from raining on the parade. Its the largest sum ever invested for passenger trains in the United States and is necessary to kick-start an Interstate High Speed Rail Network. Obama’s Transportation Secretary will be detail plans for Interstate High Speed Rail in the weeks ahead. There’s more.

When President Obama submitted his 2010 budget, it added $1 billion more for High Speed Rail in each of the next five years. Coupled with $8B from the stimulus, that’s a $13B, five year signal that Obama is a High Speed Rail advocate. Those familiar with the costs of building a interstate or international HSR network, know that’s only a down payment towards an interstate HSR network. With the exception of California High Speed Rail, $13B only kick starts long delayed regional lines running 110 mph, which does not meet the minimum international definition of High Speed Rail (125 mph). And it still leaves too many route gaps to form an Interstate High Speed Rail Network.

If Obama wants to make Interstate High Speed Rail a “signature” of his Administration, the same as Interstate Freeways became a signature of the Eisenhower Administration, he must convince Congress to direct about $100B of federal funding to HSR over 8 years and convince state & local governments and freight companies to kick in another $30B. Then we can connect routes on this map with dependable, 125-155 mph service and marvel at 220 mph service in California. We can also save spending 2-3 times that amount expanding our Interstate freeways to boot!

$130B may sound like a lot, but its a fraction the cost of our Interstate Freeway Network and every other leading nation is making HSR investments that are a much larger percentage of their GDP than $130B represents to America’s GDP. In point of fact, Spain alone is investing $120B in HSR between 2008-2010. Other countries wisely see HSR as a strategic asset that efficiently increases transportation options, reduces long-term oil dependency and helps reduce global warming. For more insight, review my original Interstate High Speed Rail Network article listed below.

Thomas Dorsey
SoulOfAmerica.com

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FUND AN INTERSTATE HIGH SPEED RAIL NETWORK - NOW

As Japan and Western Europe prove, two important elements reducing greenhouse gases and foreign oil dependence, while increasing passenger mobility are well-developed High-Speed Rail (HSR) and Transit systems. This essay focuses on HSR and concludes with “Shovel-Ready” projects that Obama and Congress should fund in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package.

The impact of planet-friendly HSR is equivalent to roads that propelled Rome to centuries of leadership on many fronts. For that reason, all other leading and developing nations are constructing the “New Roman Roads” despite costs of 25, 50 and even 100 billion dollars per project. But in America, high cost is the “Cover Story” reason we’ve practically ignored HSR. Our real reason is a bi-partisan failure of leadership.

THE ANATOMY OF FAILED LEADERSHIP

The Golden Era for passenger trains in America ended in 1956 when the Eisenhower Administration and the Congress kick-started the world’s best freeway network and in 1958 when Pan-Am and National Airlines launched frequent service aboard large commercial jets. A nation that quickly adopts innovation, we rapidly embraced both modes of transportation with a shared sense of pride, accomplishment and taxpayer subsidy. Inflation adjusted, more than a trillion dollars of taxpayer subsidy built the world’s best freeway infrastructure that attracts 80% of passengers traveling 100-500-miles, with airport construction receiving most of the remaining transportation subsidy. Denied a reasonable taxpayer subsidy, passenger trains became a transportation orphan.

America’s great freeway and airport networks came at a hidden cost to global warming and intensified dependence on foreign oil. New freeways and larger airports, partly to support short flights, triggered costly suburban sprawl and traffic jams that increase greenhouse gases. Then in 1970, imported oil overtook domestic oil production, beginning what experts call the Peak Oil Era. Shortly after hearing the bad news, President Nixon proclaimed to Congress, “We must end our dependence on foreign oil by 1980.”

When the subject of HSR arose as a transportation alternative, the prevailing counterpoint was — unlike Western Europe and excluding the Northeast, America lacks population density to sufficiently patronize HSR trains. That counterpoint made sense in 1970 when American population was only 203 million, gas cost 30 cents per gallon, and we still produced nearly 50% of the oil we consumed. Even though we imported a much larger percentage of oil by 1990, powerful HSR critics held sway over public opinion when they again countered — Americans would not patronize HSR while gas still cost under $2 per gallon. Critics further argued, Europeans also patronize HSR because their gas cost well over $3 per gallon.

Despite Democratic and Republican-led Congresses, all our leaders except President Clinton ignored President Nixon’s sage warning, two OPEC gas crises in the 1970s, and the Gulf War of 1990. Collectively, those warnings proved America has insufficient domestic oil supply, leaving us vulnerable to future limitations or disruptions of foreign oil supply. But President Clinton lacked support from Congress, so we continued moving lemming-like towards a day of reckoning.

A STARTLING, OMINOUS STORY UNFOLDING

Currently the world’s largest consumer of oil, America now produces only 11% of the oil we consume. Instead of reducing our dependency on OPEC oil, we increased freeway and airport funding, which encouraged Detroit automakers to build more gas-guzzling autos and spurred more inefficient short flights. We got our third Peak Oil warning in Summer 2008. OPEC-driven gas prices spiked 15 times higher than 1970, then lowered due to global recession. When the economy improves, oil prices will rise again. By 2020. Analysts estimate that rapidly increasing demand for oil by the developing nations of China, India and Brazil will match or exceed America’s oil demand. What will that do to gas prices?

The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts population rocketing to 310 million by 2010, mostly clustered in dense 15-40 million person corridors similar to the dense corridors of Western Europe in 1990. If you think traffic is bad now, by 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau forecasts population hitting 341 million.

Lastly, Global Warming is melting glaciers and if unchecked, will significantly increase ocean temperature and impact the direction of ocean currents. Scientists say, if current trends continue to 2020, warming oceans will trigger stronger hurricanes and other unknown effects. Here’s something to really be alarmed about — Global Warming is harder to reverse the longer it continues.

HIGH SPEED RAIL IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

Japan and the European Union define HSR as passenger trains that reach at least 125 mph (200 kmph) top speed on continuously welded tracks for smoother ride, and completely seperated from roads and fenced-off for safety. When only 2 or 3 tracks are available, HSR lines may be safely shared with slower freight and commuter trains, but the trade-off is slower average speed. To safely permit 150-156 mph (240-250 kmph) top speeds alongside freight and commuter trains, at least 4 tracks are used so HSR trains run on one set of tracks, while slow freight and commuter trains run on the other tracks. Upgraded power, signaling and track bedding are required for less vibration. To produce significantly higher average speeds, HSR trains need tilt-wheel suspensions around curves and stops roughly 40-80 miles apart.

Very High Speed Rail (VHSR) reaching 175-236 mph (280-378 kmph) has more stringent requirements. New tracks dedicated solely to passengers are built on straighter and flatter routes with a wider gap between tracks to reduce the vibrations of high speed trains passing in opposite directions. VHSR requires more power and more advanced signaling, aerodynamics, propulsion, wheels and braking. To produce significantly higher average speeds than HSR trains, VHSR trains also need stops roughly 60-125 miles apart.

Most HSR and all VHSR trains are driven by electric power whose energy source may come from any combination of hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, bio-fuel and nuclear power. Modern HSR lines also add (cabin) capacity at far lower expense than other transportation modes. For these reasons and more, HSR is more competitive than any other transportation mode in densely-populated 100- to 500-mile corridors.

MANY OTHER NATIONS ARE LEADING

Japan fits a population half the size of America in land area the size of California and launched the world’s first 130 mph “Shinkansen” HSR line in time for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. With Japan’s dense island topography and early commitment to HSR, Shinkansen trains have since transported over 6 billion passengers in tunnels and over bridges through earthquake and typhoon country at speeds up to 186 mph, with zero operational fatalities and astonishing schedule dependability as low as 6 seconds average annual delay on one line. By 2020, Shinkansen will link all major cities in Japan, as some trains reach 217 mph (350 kmph) top speed, see map.

Germans, Italians and the French love their freeways and airports as much as Americans, yet they made HSR a transportation priority decades ago. By 1978, Italy opened the first European HSR line traveling 156 mph between Rome and Florence. By 1981, France introduced the first electric-powered 186 mph trains between Paris and Lyon. Germany introduced a network of HSR trains in 1991. By 2000, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Swtzerland, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Denmark and Sweden had HSR networks running or under construction. Despite the challenge of meshing different track guages, power & signaling systems, new alliances and projects throughout Europe are reducing HSR ticketing and interconnection hassles. By 2010, the Trans-European HSR+VHSR Network will link 65 major cities and several countries will run trains that reach 217-224 mph. By 2020, the Trans-European HSR+VHSR Network will reach 9,600 miles, as twice as many slow speed (grey color) lines on this map convert to HSR speeds. The majority of lines will also support the European Union power standard of 25 kV 50 Hz to eliminate switchover lags and enable faster border crossings.

According to 2008 World Bank figures, China vaulted to the world’s 3rd largest economy and is forecast to pass Japan soon. That GDP growth funded eight HSR lines covering nearly 4,400 miles and a showcase 72-mile 186 mph Beijing-Tianjin line for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In fact, China has already built as many miles of high-speed passenger rail lines in the last four years as Europe has in two decades. By 2012, the world’s fastest VHSR train (236 mph) will run on 824 miles linking Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities. By 2020, China HSR will link all its major cities to transport 400 million passengers per year, see map.

Even the nations of Russia, Taiwan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, India and Morocco have more aggressive HSR development schedules than the United States.

AMERICA MUST CATCH UP

America is 35 years behind Japan, 25 years behind Western Europe and 10 years behind China building 21st century Roman Roads. Instead of changing transportation priorities, Congress has starved Amtrak of reasonable funding, thereby producing a single promising, yet incomplete HSR line (Acela) in the Northeast Corridor and woefully underfunded legacy rail lines in the rest of the country. The latter legacy rail lines suffer from:

* inadequate bridges and tunnels
* too many autos crossings over train tracks
* people and animals wandering onto unfenced tracks
* too many routes having a single track for trains traveling in opposite directions

Imagine cars or animals crossing airport runways and planes alternating landings & take-offs from the same end of the airstrip. Its a national disgrace to run a passenger railroad that way and a credit to Amtrak that its trains have so few accidents.

Despite miserly funding, by 1999 Amtrak reached 125 mph and frequent service in the Northeast Corridor. And in 2000, Amtrak introduced Acela trains that tilt around curves at higher speeds without spilling a glass of wine. It even reaches 150 mph top speed in one stretch. You can relax, nap or work as Acela whisks you from DC to Midtown NYC in same time without the hassles of flying plus a taxi:

Flying
90 minutes queue time to board a plane at DCA airport
45 minutes flight time (at 85% on-time performance)
45 minutes taxi time from LGA airport to midtown (+ traffic delay risk)
180 minutes

Acela
10 minutes queue time to board a train at DC Union Station
168 minutes ride time (at 90% on-time performance)
178 minutes

Since Acela introduction, Amtrak market share has grown from 12% to more than 50% of the air/rail market in the Northeast Corridor and a huge proportion of riders are business travelers. And despite all the obstacles, Amtrak increased ridership to 28.7 million in Fiscal 2008, with Acela as the largest contributor to operating revenue and passengers. So Congress recently approved more funds to maximize Acela’s passenger potential in the Northeast Corridor, where it covers two segments consisting of these stops:

* DC-BWI Airport-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Trenton-Metropark-Newark-NYC
* Boston(2)-Westwood-Providence-New London-New Haven-Stamford-NYC

In the 232-mile DC-NYC segment, Acela trains are limited to 135 mph top speed, 83 mph average speed for the 2 hour 48 minute journey. But there is pent-up demand for a 2 hour trip time. To deliver that service level of 116 mph average speed, Amtrak must modernize bridges & tunnels, add new signaling and track upgrades to attain 156 mph (250 kmph) over longer distances. Amtrak must also reduce Acela stops to only DC <-40 miles-> Baltimore <-90 miles-> Philadelphia <-81 miles-> NYC.

In the 225-mile Boston-NYC segment, Acela reaches 150 mph on a single 18-mile section that features state-of-the-art infrastructure. The remaining 207 miles are hampered by excessive curves, decrepit infrastructure and 11 places where roads cross tracks, forcing trains to run slow. Consequently, Acela runs at 63 mph average speed and 3 hours 35 minutes trip time between Boston-NYC. This segment has pent-up demand for 2 hour 15 minute trip time. To deliver that service level of 100 mph average speed, Amtrak must complete a mountain of capital projects to attain 156 mph and reduce Acela stops to only Boston South Station <-45 miles-> Providence <-100 miles-> New Haven <-80 miles-> NYC.

Amtrak Northeast Regional trains running up to 125 mph top speed will benefit from the same improvement projects and service any stops deleted from Acela service.

TIMING RIGHT FOR INTERSTATE ACELA NETWORK

In the crosshairs of Peak Oil, Global Warming and Fast Population Growth, we must make smarter funding choices to accelerate building our New Roman Roads. in November 2008, California boldly took the lead by passing a $9 Billion bond measure to fund a 217 mph VHSR line that will produce 2 hour 38 minute Los Angeles-San Francisco trip times. When fully built, the California VHSR system will extend to Sacramento, Orange County and San Diego, see map.

Thousands of legacy rail miles in the Southeast, Midwest, Florida, Texas and Northwest corridors are being upgraded. But lack of major funding has forced their proponents to target a paltry 110 mph top speed, retain places where autos cross tracks, tortoise-like project schedules and independent approaches that leave an embarrassment of route gaps, see map. So without a unified interstate vision and major commitment in federal funding, their HSR projects have stalled or inch along in these corridors growing to 15-40 million population by 2020:

* Chicago-Gary-South Bend-Toledo-Cleveland-Pittsburgh-Philadelphia
* Lansing-Detroit-Toledo-Dayton-Cincinnati-Louisville-Nashville-Atlanta-Savannah
* DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte-Atlanta-Birmingham-Meridian-New Orleans
* Raleigh-Columbia-Savannah-Jacksonville-Orlando-Ft Lauderdale-Miami
* Houston-Dallas-Oklahoma City-Tulsa-Kansas City-St. Louis-Chicago
* Minneapolis-Milwaukee-Chicago-Indianapolis-Louisville
* NYC-Albany-Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo-Erie-Cleveland-Cincinati
* San Antonio-Austin-Dallas-Little Rock-Memphis-Carbondale-Chicago
* San Antonio-Houston-Baton Rouge-New Orleans-Mobile-Jacksonville
* Vancouver-Seattle-Portland-Eugene-Sacramento

Highways, Transit, Amtrak (HSR) and Airports each have a multi-billion dollar backlog of projects that create jobs in 90-180 days. Amtrak 90-day shovel-ready examples include restoring a backlog of 81 Amtrak trains, restoring and ADA upgrades to train stations in HSR routes, upgrading power & signaling equipment and ordering materials for many projects that stalled for lack of funding. Projects that create jobs in 180 days include adding continuously-welded 4 tracks on new bedding in approved HSR routes within ready-to-go states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia), kick-starting construction of the tunnel to the Transbay Transit Center, and hiring a new generation of Amtrak staff to create and execute the unified Interstate Acela Network Plan going forward. Unfortunately, a draft of the Proposed 2009 Economic Stimulus pegs Transportation sector improvements at $47 Billion with these “status quo” funding levels:

$30 Billion - Highways
$  9 Billion - Transit
$  4 Billion - Airports
$  1 Billion - Amtrak
$  3 Billion - R&D/Special Projects

Obama and Congress can choose the status quo priority of “Highway-centric” funding that continues our lemming-like race towards the unfolding ominous story. Or they can choose a bold new priority of “Smart-Balance” funding that cuts $7 Billion earmarked to new freeway lanes (reduce Highways to $23 Billion) to increase Transit funding to $10 Billion and Amtrak HSR funding to $7 Billion. Going forward, that Smart-Balance funding level couples with our time-saving wealth of legacy rail to form an Interstate Acela Network that links 50-60% of major cities by 2020. Given Amtrak’s success in the Northeast Corridor and the higher prices of future gas, we can anticipate an order of magnitude new passengers mode-changing from freeways and short flights to the Interstate Acela Network. Now that’s change we can believe in!

By Thomas Dorsey, Publisher
SoulOfAmerica.com Travel Website
http://soulofamerica.com/interact/us-cities/interstate-acela-network