Trains to the rescue | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

From the Federal Railways Administration

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 09:42:46 AM EST

Note that the above is not a system plan, but ... (4.00 / 2)

... rather those corridors that have achieved Federal designation as HSR corridors.

So, for example, the Front Range corridor centers on Denver and Colorado Springs is still in preliminary planning, the alignment between Houston and the San Antonio / Dallas corridor is up in the air, and Sen. Reid's beloved Maglev from Las Vegas to Anaheim is only one of a variety of possible approaches, so none of those are Federally Designated Corridors.

Similarly, comparing the map to the Ohio Hub map, you can see that both the Midwest Hub and the Ohio Hub have only sought designation for stage 1 of their systems, since in each case, there's no point pushing for designation of a later stage until funding is secured to start construction of Stage 1.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 10:36:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Note that the above is not a system plan, (none / 0)

I was wondering about the Houston thing when I first saw that map the other week. I would have thought that connecting up Houston, Dallas/FW, Austin, and San Antonio would be a natural idea, more important than some of the other stuff up there, including Houston NOLa.

by MarekNYC on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 06:00:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Note that the above is not a system plan, (none / 1)

The original alignment, which AFAIU was killed when someone called "Bush" was Governor, was a triangular network. The cheapest alignment is probably to build Rapid Rail track in the corridor used by the existing Amtrak train from Houston to San Antonio, but then the biggest transport market on the system, Houston/Dallas, is the longest trip on the system.

The most recent plan is the so-called "T-Bone", with a single alignment with a junction on the San Antonio/Dallas corridor, with some services from Houston running up to Dallas and others running south to San Antonio ... it looks like it goes out of the way compared to the triangular route, but when the trains start getting up to a reasonable speed, the trip times seem to work out OK.

But they need to settle on a general alignment to get designation.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 07:26:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Note that the above is not a system plan, (none / 1)

"The most recent plan is the so-called "T-Bone","
So it's "T" for Texas,.....aaahh ha!

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 09:04:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Also for Steak ... (none / 0)

... also for what the route vaguely looks like on the map.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Tue Feb 17th, 2009 at 09:47:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A map (none / 1)

That is a cool start. Too bad there's nothing between Sacramento and Eugene.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Feb 18th, 2009 at 05:14:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Long route, and doing it as a bullet train ... (none / 0)

... would be tremendously expensive for a relatively small transport market. But if an alignment was developed for Rapid Freight Rail from the Pacific Northwest to SoCal, that would become a genuinely attractive sleeper route, with evening departures from the Pacific Northwest and early morning arrivals in California.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Wed Feb 18th, 2009 at 07:02:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Trains to the rescue | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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