Krugman: Cannibalize the Future – NYTimes.com

Cannibalize the Future – NYTimes.com.

One general rule of modern politics is that the people who talk most about future generations — who go around solemnly declaring that we’re burdening our children with debt — are, in practice, the people most eager to sacrifice our future for short-term political gain. You can see that principle at work in the House Republican budget, which starts with dire warnings about the evils of deficits, then calls for tax cuts that would make the deficit even bigger, offset only by the claim to have a secret plan to make up for the revenue losses somehow or other.

Filed under: Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail

Bullet train planners reverse course, revive Anaheim service – latimes.com

Bullet train planners reverse course, revive Anaheim service – latimes.com.

L.A. NOW

Southern California — this just in

Bullet train planners reverse course, revive Anaheim service

April 12, 2012 |  2:43 pm

 

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Responding to an outpouring of criticism from Orange County business, civic and political leaders, California’s bullet train agency reversed itself Thursday and voted to pursue a direct service link to Anaheim in the project’s initial phase.

The commitment came as the California High Speed Rail Authority board, meeting in San Francisco, adopted a crucial $68-billion business plan for the controversial project.

Filed under: Passenger Rail Politics, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail

Amtrak CEO: New rail tunnels to New York critical – Philly.com

Amtrak CEO: New rail tunnels to New York critical – Philly.com.

As Amtrak continues to set ridership records, chief executive Joseph Boardman said Wednesday that new rail tunnels to New York are “critical” to meeting growing passenger demand.

Amtrak is seeking $35 million this year to advance plans for its $13.5 billion Gateway proposal to increase rail service on the Northeast corridor by adding two tunnels under the Hudson, replacing the century-old Portal Bridge near Newark, and expanding Pennsylvania Station in New York.

 

Filed under: Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail

Amtrak says it needs more funding to avoid re-routing Southwest Chief – Wichita Business Journal

Amtrak says it needs more funding to avoid re-routing Southwest Chief – Wichita Business Journal.

Advocates for passenger rail service in southwest Kansas are looking for funding solutions to keep Amtrak’s    Amtrak Latest from The Business Journals Follow this company Southwest Chief route running through the area.

The Garden City Telegram reports that according to an Amtrak presentation in Garden City, the company’s officials are considering re-routing the Southwest Chief to the south, so it would no longer go through southwest Kansas. They say a change is necessary because Amtrak uses a track that is owned and operated by BNSF Railway, which has reduced its maintenance efforts on the track now that much of BNSF’s freight traffic uses a different route. Maintenance and repair costs now rest mostly with Amtrak.

 

Filed under: Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail

California high-speed rail funding could be in jeopardy – latimes.com

California high-speed rail funding could be in jeopardy – latimes.com.

I am SHOCKED! Absolutely STUNNED! California HSR in jeopardy? NO! IMPOSSIBLE! I refuse to believe it.

Listen, I am damned sorry to see it. Everything is against sensible transportation in America, including the people who are its supposed backers.

Filed under: Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail

FROM WISCONSIN – The Badger Herald: A year later, still an $810 million mistake

The Badger Herald: A year later, still an $810 million mistake.

A year later, it turns out refusing $810 million from the federal government to overhaul Wisconsin’s rail was still a bad idea. The Legislature recently approved $31.6 million to be spent on the Amtrak line from Milwaukee to Chicago. That amount won’t cover all the necessary costs either, with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting that costs could balloon to $99 million. All of these costs would have been covered by the federal grant that was turned down last year by Gov. Scott Walker.

Filed under: Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail