Say...Bye bye to HSR...?

A

aardvark1

Senior Citizen Member
Could this be the beginning of the end?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45153941/ns/us_news/

No money, no support, no HSR.

Remember, no matter how much you complain about it here, not much will change the final outcome.

We can only hope that things move along as planned.

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Have fun,
 
A) Expand existing rail corridors between major cities.
1) Defray construction costs with existing freight carriers.
2) Share maintenance costs with the host road.
3) Use existing dispatching.
4) Peak commuter hours, new line is passenger only.
5) Off hours and nights, double freight capacity. Less freight congestion in
urban areas during the day by moving most through by night.
6) Intercity rail doesn't need to be 200 MPH to be effective. It just needs to be more efficient than sitting in traffic for an hour compared to a 30 minute hassle free train ride.

B) Use existing equipment.
1) We have it.
2) Contract with existing railroad facilities for maintenance. Repair capability is in place.

C) Use Federal funds to promote Shortlines.
1) We have miles of existing rail in place unused.
2) Minimal repairs to get them back in use.
3) Promote freight by rail back into rural areas first.
4) Provides a destination or origin of passengers from the major arteries.

These ideas would expand jobs in the rail industry with minimal out lay. Existing railroads have the infrastructure to support it in place and would benefit from extra rail capacity. Start with the freight and then expand passenger service into more rural areas. The major hold back to commuting by rail is the major inconveniences. I can get to Chicago by rail in 30 minutes, once I drive 30 miles to get to the train station. May as well keep driving, I'm in it that far.

Why reinvent the wheel? Making passenger travel by rail needs to be more convenient. The majority of rail passengers are daily commuters. HSR doesn't need to be 225 MPH for that. Give me a 5 minute drive to rail service with existing access across Northern Indiana and I'm there. Problem is, no commuter infrastructure at my destination for the most part, back to driving myself.

Start small by promoting freight into more rural areas, then passenger. Upgrade the destination commuters need first. Use existing rail equipment and lines for minimal outlay. THEN go for the HSR.

Penny wise, dollar stupid.

Dave.......
 
Thanks Ron, it just drives me nuts to see this waste when the majority of the cost and work has been done by the railroads already. How many miles of abandoned rails sit rusting? The majority of which were built to reach passengers before cars ran railroads out of the business.

I'm a rail fan obviously, but HSR is overkill and way more expense than needed. We have billions of unspent stimulus money, hundreds of working pieces of rolling stock and miles of unused track sitting idle and a perfect opportunity to put a lot of people to work everywhere while addressing the oil problem in one swipe.

I live about 5 miles from the Hoosier Valley RR Historical Society. Right now there are six passenger cars sitting outside and a rebuilt Alco switcher. Not as glamorous as a new bullet train but they are pushing for some funds to upgrade their trackage as a part of the Chesapeake and Indiana RR to restore some freight service in the area. The original line brought lumber into Chicago after the fire and was a popular passenger line to Bass Lake.

The line is functional and slightly profitable now but needs upgrades. A small investment to tie all these little towns in my area into the old South Shore. A lot of people here commute by car to Northern Indiana for work, mostly back roads. Most would welcome a 5 mile drive to the train instead of winter driving on unplowed roads.

Dave......
 
As per extra equipment.... Beach Grove, as I think it is, already working quite well. They are just keeping a constant backlog, ensuring at least a little work when wrecks/scheduled repairs are light.

Amtrak is expanding, I guarentee it. Ridership on the local Pere Marquette 370/1 is rising at least 2-7% every year for the past decade (minus one year). Superliners on a short-distance train year-round!

But yeah, convenience would be worth more than HSR (except in Texas, where everything is bigger ;) ) The only problem is figuring out where to make it more convenient.
 
Absolutely agree with all of you but have you ever wondered why old bridges, etc. almost never get fixed or replaced but new one are constantly being built(even those to nowhere)? Easy - repairing or replacing old ones generate few if any votes - new ones do. Guess which ones politicians are gonna support.

Ben
 
First cut taxes to encourage business growth.
Second stop trying to "save" industries that are failing.
Third get rid of the regulatory BS that is throttling business innovation. This includes dismantling the EPA to the point where they are only dealing with matters that affect health directly, not some lizard or butterfly's habitat.
Fourth get rid of the unions where possible and encourage "right to work" in every state.

Then let's look at sparky15's proposals.
 
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