The speed at which a train can travel is limited by the type of track it travels on. Bringing high-speed rail to North America will require building new high-speed lines that can accomodate frequent 200+ mph service. These new high-speed segments connect to and...
Thank you to everyone who responded to the Federal Railroad Administration’s recent request for input on their Corridor Identification and Development Program for new trains. Using the online tool that the High Speed Rail Alliance provided, 245 of our supporters submitted comments before yesterday’s deadline, and so did seven mayors.
Additionally, a team of railroad industry experts that advises the Alliance submitted detailed responses to 16 questions posed by the FRA, and our executive director, Rick Harnish, submitted comments as well. We wanted to share the highlights with you about how we see this.
Ever since passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last fall, the Alliance has highlighted the unprecedented opportunities before us. To be more specific about that, the FRA’s work on the Corridor Identification and Development Program plays a key role. That’s because it represents our best chance for passenger rail in the United States to finally turn a corner. We now have a chance to move away from simply patching up and working with the struggling routes that Amtrak inherited in 1971. Instead, we can now plan a modern, fast, efficient network of passenger trains well connected to other forms of transportation.
The Alliance’s input on this critical process includes recommendations like these:
