That’s why I was intrigued when I heard that Obama and Biden plan to announce grants totaling $8 billion to build 13 major high-speed rail corridors around the country. It’s an attempt to show that the president has a plan for getting Americans back to work and, at the same time, a solution for the congestion in some of our major travel corridors. Unfortunately, like the highway repairs undertaken as part of the stimulus package, it is not likely to produce many new jobs nor is it likely to do much for our transportation problems.
The president plans to announce the package Thursday in Florida so it looks like a high-speed line connecting Orlando and Tampa will receive funding (like the country really needs that). California’s proposal for an 800-mile-long rail line from Sacramento to San Diego and a nine-state proposal in the Midwest also are considered strong contenders.
Eight billion dollars is a lot of money but it wouldn’t begin to cover the costs of the systems proposed above. Assuming they can use existing railroad rights of way to build most of these corridors, the $8 billion won’t cover the cost of track and rolling stock. If they have to buy rights of way the costs will be enormous. But what the hell, what’s another $100 billion or so? At the rate we’re going it just means we’ll be broke a few days sooner.
High-speed rail sounds like a great idea for heavily-traveled corridors but it isn’t all that appealing in reality. Except for densely packed spaces like New York and Washington where there is adequate local public transportation, high speed rail does not solve the problem of the “last mile.” That is, if you have to hoof it for a mile or wait 20-30 minutes for a bus at the beginning and end of each trip, the high-speed train saves you no time and very little money. Might as well drive.
(Low-Speed) Passenger Service
We still have some low-speed passenger service available. If there’s a station near you and one near where you’re going, it’s worth considering if time isn’t a factor.
To my mind, train travel it is the most elegant way to get around—comfortable seats; a ground-level view of the passing towns and countryside; you can walk around or go to the bathroom without permission; no security checks (yet). On longer trips you can get passable meals and, if you can afford it, a private room with a bed. Passenger trains are slower than flying and really no faster than driving, but they’re a lot more relaxing than either
All of the long-haul passenger train service in the United States is now under the aegis of Amtrak, officially The National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Amtrak’s preferred stock is owned by the U.S. federal government. Its board of directors is appointed by the President.
Amtrak does not earn a profit. It is subsidized by the taxpayers. Research done a few years back showed that the taxpayer subsidies were so high relative to Amtrak ridership and revenues that it would be cheaper for the federal government to shut Amtrak down completely and buy airline tickets for all the people who wanted to travel on Amtrak.
Granted, a few Amtrak routes, like the Boston-Washington corridor, earn a profit but most do not.
The reasons for the failure of passenger rail service in the United States are manifold. Time is probably the biggest one: two days by train, three or four hours by air. Interstate highways make driving as fast, feasible, and cost-effective as train rides. There are a lot of places we want to go where there is no rail or air service so, either way, you wind up driving or renting a car.
But don’t get me wrong. Railroads are extremely important and a good investment. We’re just putting our money in the wrong place.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 8:51 PM and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Obama Goes Trainspotting
I love trains.
That’s why I was intrigued when I heard that Obama and Biden plan to announce grants totaling $8 billion to build 13 major high-speed rail corridors around the country. It’s an attempt to show that the president has a plan for getting Americans back to work and, at the same time, a solution for the congestion in some of our major travel corridors. Unfortunately, like the highway repairs undertaken as part of the stimulus package, it is not likely to produce many new jobs nor is it likely to do much for our transportation problems.
Eight billion dollars is a lot of money but it wouldn’t begin to cover the costs of the systems proposed above. Assuming they can use existing railroad rights of way to build most of these corridors, the $8 billion won’t cover the cost of track and rolling stock. If they have to buy rights of way the costs will be enormous. But what the hell, what’s another $100 billion or so? At the rate we’re going it just means we’ll be broke a few days sooner.
High-speed rail sounds like a great idea for heavily-traveled corridors but it isn’t all that appealing in reality. Except for densely packed spaces like New York and Washington where there is adequate local public transportation, high speed rail does not solve the problem of the “last mile.” That is, if you have to hoof it for a mile or wait 20-30 minutes for a bus at the beginning and end of each trip, the high-speed train saves you no time and very little money. Might as well drive.
(Low-Speed) Passenger Service
We still have some low-speed passenger service available. If there’s a station near you and one near where you’re going, it’s worth considering if time isn’t a factor.
To my mind, train travel it is the most elegant way to get around—comfortable seats; a ground-level view of the passing towns and countryside; you can walk around or go to the bathroom without permission; no security checks (yet). On longer trips you can get passable meals and, if you can afford it, a private room with a bed. Passenger trains are slower than flying and really no faster than driving, but they’re a lot more relaxing than either
All of the long-haul passenger train service in the United States is now under the aegis of Amtrak, officially The National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Amtrak’s preferred stock is owned by the U.S. federal government. Its board of directors is appointed by the President.
Granted, a few Amtrak routes, like the Boston-Washington corridor, earn a profit but most do not.
The reasons for the failure of passenger rail service in the United States are manifold. Time is probably the biggest one: two days by train, three or four hours by air. Interstate highways make driving as fast, feasible, and cost-effective as train rides. There are a lot of places we want to go where there is no rail or air service so, either way, you wind up driving or renting a car.
But don’t get me wrong. Railroads are extremely important and a good investment. We’re just putting our money in the wrong place.
Tomorrow: Train Service We Do Need
Like this:
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 8:51 PM and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.