March 4, 2011 • 8:05 am 1
This column is just a dandy and articulates a reasonable response to George Will’s somewhat strained attack on HSR.
By Ezra KleinIt took me a few days to put my finger on what I found so strange about my colleague George Will’s take on trains. In Will’s view, support for high-speed rail is a “disorder [that] illuminates the progressive mind.”
Ezra Klein – Can’t I just be pro-transportation?.
Filed under: Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, United States High Speed Rail
March 3, 2011 • 8:24 am 0
Ah, ha! Told ya’ so! (only being sarcastic)
A widening probe into corruption in China’s powerful Railways Ministry is raising questions over the scale and pace of its multibillion-dollar drive to build costly high-speed railways, though it is unlikely to derail the program.
Along with concerns over financing and other issues, at least one proposal for scaling down the showcase program is due to be presented to a top advisory group meeting in Beijing this week during the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress, a state media report said Wednesday.
What this story is actually saying, I think, is that there is a case to be made for building and improving conventional passenger rail service. But what do I know anyway?
China Railways Scandal Widens, Raising Criticism – NYTimes.com.
Filed under: International High Speed Rail
March 3, 2011 • 8:19 am 1
Under the proposal, the Iowa City area would contribute $300,000 to $400,000 annually for operational services for an Amtrak line that would run initially from Iowa City to Davenport and on to Chicago. The state had been looking at a $3 million annual bill, which prompted questions from new Gov. Terry Branstad about whether other funding streams exist.
City gets positive sign on rail project | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen.
Filed under: Amtrak, Regional USA Passenger Rail
March 3, 2011 • 8:17 am 1
MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of SBI’s new report, “High Speed Rail Infrastructure Component Manufacturing,” to their collection of Railway Equipment market reports. For more information, visit http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?ProductID=2496796.
The successful installation of a fast moving transportation system is beneficial on two levels. First, it would decrease the nation’s reliance on depleting fossil fuels and secondly, HSR will stimulate local economies and drive growth across the U.S. According to SBI Energy’s new industry study High Speed Rail Infrastructure Component Manufacturing, the accumulated market value of global HSR manufacturing sectors was $244 billion from 2005 to 2009 and will grow to reach $907 billion between 2010 and 2015.
Nations around the globe are increasing their roll out of high-speed rail initiatives during 2010, making them an integral part of the overall transportation infrastructure. Several countries in Europe, for example, currently lacking an HSR system have made commitments to begin construction by the end of the year. In Asia, a multitude of HSR development projects are underway with anticipated completion dates between 2015 and 2020 and of the 17,000 miles of planned HSR track implementations worldwide, nearly 10,000 is allocated for Asia, SBI Energy reports.
PR-USA.net – High Speed Rail Industry to Reach $907 Billion By 2015.
Filed under: Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, United States High Speed Rail
March 3, 2011 • 8:14 am 0
Conducting passenger rail studies is a thriving cottage industry.
States are delivering their first steps toward achieving the vision for high-speed rail in America as the one-year anniversary approaches of the announcement of $8 billion in grants for intercity and high-speed passenger rail. State departments of transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the freight railroads are working aggressively to expand the country’s passenger rail system, according to new study released today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). States have been given the green light by the FRA to proceed on almost $4.3 billion worth of projects.
“We are fully engaged in a game-changing national enterprise that enhances mobility, saves energy, reduces pollution, revives inner cities, creates jobs, and boosts the economy,” said Eugene Conti, chair of AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Rail Transportation, and secretary, North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Filed under: Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail
March 2, 2011 • 10:15 pm 0
The Nevada Department of Transportation on Monday took its first step toward developing a state rail plan that, when completed, would make Nevada eligible for future federal railroad funding.
Filed under: Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail
patlynch
Logan Nash
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