Officials balk at Amtrak’s vision for high-speed rail

[mark1447]

State lawmakers are wary of Amtrak’s recently updated proposal to bring high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor within the next 30 years.

 

The reason? Amtrak’s proposed 438-mile high-speed rail line would cross through Connecticut without stopping.

 

“It’s something we need to work with Amtrak on,” state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said. “I applaud Amtrak for its vision . but we need to make sure it works for residents of this state.”

 

The vice chairman of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, Duff stressed that Amtrak’s high-speed rail proposal is merely preliminary.

 

“There’s a lot of work between the vision and implementation of this,” he said.

The “Next-Gen High-Speed Rail” program is Amtrak’s ambitious vision for a $151 billion rail system, connecting Northeast metropolises from Washington to Boston at speeds of 220 mph. At those speeds the trip from Boston to Washington, DC would take an estimated three hours. The fastest train in the world is believed to be in China and tops 300 mph.

A second-tier express service would make just three stops in Connecticut--in Danbury, Waterbury and Hartford. An Amtrak spokesman said all existing station stops along the New Haven line would also receive enhanced service.

 

Amtrak’s concept is still in the early planning stages, but local lawmakers are questioning what impact, if any, such a rail system would have on Connecticut.

“Connecticut can be the passage to somewhere else, or it can be the destination, along with other destinations,” said state Rep. Gail Lavielle, who spoke at last week’s public hearing on the matter.

 

Lavielle, R-143, told officials with the Federal Railway Administration that the first priority should be repairing Metro-North’s New Haven line, which transports some 39 million riders a year.

 

“We should fix it first,” she said. “Fixing would be so much less money than this immense high-speed rail project that it’s a folly not to do it.”

Amtrak’s plan includes some track, signaling and electrification improvements along the New Haven line, including catenary and bridge replacements between Stamford and Bridgeport.

 

Connecticut Department of Transportation officials have been hesitant to back Amtrak’s high-speed rail proposal.

 

Earlier this summer, Commissioner James P. Redecker told members of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce that he was disappointed in Amtrak’s plan, saying the route should include stops in Connecticut.

 

DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the plan is speculative and would require environmental studies, land acquisitions and opportunities for public comment.

“We’re really just talking about a dream right now,” he said.

 

http://www.dailytribune.com/article/20120822/NEWS04/120829858/officials-balk-at-amtrak-s-vision-for-high-speed-rail&pager=full_story

[KeystoneRegional]

Well, the thing is, I don't have access to the plan because the PDF seems broken on Amtrak.com, however as a solution to the problem, my current proposal that also is reflected on Page 16 on this PDF File (Link: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/214/393/A-Vision-for-High-Speed-Rail-in-the-Northeast-Corridor.pdf ).

 

As I assume, the guys in Connecticut is saying about the Next Gen Super Express, however the problem is that the Super Express is for Inter-City Travel, aka Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. The problem is I don't see any city that needs this service in Connecticut, the next city, and only city in the entire corridor that should see a HSR Super Express service is Baltimore, and like I said, ONLY CITY.

 

It's not just about ridership though, the Super-Express will reach around 220MPH, which is the top speed on this corridor, and if you add unnecessary stations between cities, it's not going to work. Even in China, a massive nation with 4-5 times our population, there are still Super-Express trains, like which I rode (G19 Beijing South <-> Shanghai Hongqiao, that only make two station stops, and it's at two major Junctions (Jinan and Nanjing), let alone the other populated cities, like Suzhou, Jiangsu).

 

I really think that politicians should think twice, and stop ruining master planned service, at the end, all equipment's are going to be the same and all convenience are going to be the same.

 

NOTE: My arguements are based on the PDF in the link above, it's probably not going to be perfectly on the 2012 plan.

[Amtrak7]

Given the alignment (in the linked PDF), I think the new trains should make Boston, Waterbury, Trenton (limited), Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington.

[KeystoneRegional]

Given the alignment (in the linked PDF), I think the new trains should make Boston, Waterbury, Trenton (limited), Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington.

 

 

Well, the Super-Expresses shouldn't make Waterbury, Trenton nor Wilmington. Baltimore is a-okay. I just don't see ridership that could sustain the Super-Expresses in the cities I eliminated, other than Baltimore.

[Far Rock Depot]

30 years. I'll be 65 when it opens. I know what I'm riding with my first retirement check!! Lmao!

[KeystoneRegional]

I'll be 50, too bad my parents can't see it in play, by I guess I'll bring my future kids and future wife along the way, (hopefully grandchildren too).