Congress Makes Historic Investments In Trains. What’s Next?

Tell Congress to fund high-speed rail

2. Tell California to stay the course on its San Francisco to LA high-speed line.

Although it has made great progress recently, some legislators in the California Assembly want to shift the funds to other, local projects. With Congress opting to invest in world-class, twenty-first century transportation systems, this is the moment to double down on—not abandon—California’s HSR project. When it will be ready depends on the Assembly’s commitment to investing in it. But one thing is sure: nothing has the power to build support for HSR in the U.S. like a line that’s in operation—especially a line that connects two marquee cities—Los Angeles and San Francisco—in one of the nation’s most vibrant economies.

3. Tell legislators in the Midwest that you want a regional HSR network.

A great starting point is the Midwest Regional Rail Plan, recently published by the Federal Railroad Administration. As the Alliance noted, it is momentous because it does three key things: 1) Creates a vision for a network of high-speed trains that would transform travel across the Midwest. 2) Makes a strong case for fast, frequent trains that are coordinated and well-integrated into a network. 3) Shows the importance of regional cooperation and big-picture planning. Along with the Illinois High Speed Rail Commission, the Midwest Regional Rail Plan marks a milestone for the future of high-speed rail—not only in the region but across the nation.

4. Tell Georgia and North Carolina lawmakers to push forward with plans for an Atlanta to Charlotte line.

Over the summer, the Georgia Department of Transportation released its Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for an Atlanta-Charlotte line. The next steps are a Tier 2 assessment and then the planning process. Meantime, a private firm announced plans for an Atlanta-Dallas line. Together, these lines would create a system of fast, frequent trains that stretches all the way from Boston to Houston. In turn, a network that connects the Northeast and Southeast would incentivize building lines from Atlanta to Nashville, Indianapolis, and the entire Midwest. And that’s how a national network will happen. As each region becomes more connected, the incentives to connect the regional networks will multiply. A national network of fast, frequent trains—once a far-off dream—is becoming a real possibility.

The case for high-speed trains just got stronger—and more urgent. Here’s why.

One thing the debates over these bills made clear is that Congress isn’t ready for many of the elements of President Biden’s agenda to tackle climate change. A carbon tax, for example, was cut from the Build Back Better bill. Yet, at the same time, report after report calls for decisive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. And the urgency of acting becomes clearer by the day.