The proponents of high-speed rail across the country are getting their projects lined up for federal funding made available through the Stimulus Bill. While projects and plans are being formed across the country these two in Texas and North Carolina/Virginia provide a taste of what’s to come.
These states are ramping up their efforts to get access to stimulus money and hopefully more than their share of the pie. In fact, many rail advocates, even when faced with $8 billion bonanza for high-speed rail projects, say there isn’t enough money to be spread around. It needs to be focused for maximum impact.
Texas is proposing the “Texas T-Bone” that would connect DFW Airport with Waco, Temple, Austin and San Antonio, crossed by a leg from Killeen to Houston. The Texas High-Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation, a coalition of cities, counties and private-sector partners including major airlines, is floating this proposal. Ironically, the city of Waco isn’t a member of the coalition, but local officials are obviously pleased with the T-Bone plan.
Temple Mayor Bill Jones, vice chairman of the high-speed rail coalition, said it’s time for the state to show more leadership. But his group isn’t waiting for that to happen. The coalition is hoping to apply for $100 million of the stimulus money for a study for its vision of a privately funded high-speed system.
Coalition officials estimate that a 440-mile system, mostly on elevated track that would allow speeds of more than 200 mph, could cost between $11 billion and $22 billion. The study would shed light on those costs, as well as ridership potential, fares and the exact route.
In North Carolina, state officials are teaming up with Virginia’s high speed rail folk to get the money focused on connecting Washington DC with Charlotte NC. Planning has been proceeding since the early 1990s for trains that could speed Raleigh travelers to Charlotte in a little over two hours, and to Washington, D.C., in less than four.
The Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, roughly 450 miles from Charlotte to Washington, is one of 10 speedy train projects formally designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation since 1991.
Others serve bigger urban centers, but transportation experts say few have advanced as far along the path from concept to construction as the North Carolina-Virginia plan.
With the emphasis on having shovel-ready projects, North Carolina and Virginia hope that their advanced planning will steer more federal dollars in their direction. It is a given that the Washington DC-New York-Boston corridor will get lots of the funding to try and bring that almost-high-speed system up to speed with needed repairs to neglected bridges and tunnels.
Texas, North Carolina and Virginia are not alone with their projects aimed at the $8 billion pot of railway gold. There are plenty who are still dreaming of maglev trains. Plus, the U.S. Department of Transportation solicited proposals to design, finance, build, and maintain 11 new high-speed rail corridors around the country.
Hopefully somewhere along the way, in some state, America can get its first high-speed rail system working, rather than spending all our money on environmental impact statements and legal maneuvers.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
