high speed plan

[f14aplusfl]

Let me put it to you this way... i am a college kid and for the price of a ticket for Acela from Boston's South Station to NYC's Penn Station (which today is an insult to the glory of the former station, let alone railroad) there is a 20-40 minute difference in comparision to one behind a HHP-8 or AEM7 regional train. Also it costs more to take an Acela train and I cannot use a student advantage card for a discount. For adults there is a 70 dollar difference between Acela and a normal Regional train.

Now the majority of all High Speed rail lines outside the US, mainly Europe and Japan are on dedicated High speed line. While travelling the NEC, I recall passing Metro North (even following a MN train) and Providence & Worchester RR trains. The problem with high speed rail initiatives is also money but more importantly NIMBY's! They'd rather have an airport be built versus a train line even if it is several miles from their home.

But see you guys and girls on Amtrak!

[Anonymous]

[8)] Yes I would ride !!!
I grew up 32 miles East of Seattle I now live in SD with No Passenger trains[V]
In July I went back to Seattle, WA. for 2 resons 1 to see family and 2 to go the
Natl. Model RR show. Hats off to WA. state DOT for 1 Amtrak Cascades
and 2 for Sound Transit trains I-90, I-5 and highway 405 are over crowed
yes there is a carpool lane and bus service is OK but why take a crowed
bus when you can take the train save time fewer stops and nicer ride!
BTW you can use the train ticket as a transfer for the bus this worked nice
as for I rode the train from Seattle North to Edmonds got on the bus to Lynwood
were I was staying I hope WA will put a line in going East from Seattle to
Bellvue or Issaquah. Again YES RIDE THE TRAIN !!! For those of you that have trains count it a blessing I wish we had 1 in the Black Hills of SD running
on the DM&E with stops in Whitewood, Sturgis, and Piedmont, Black Hawk,
then on into Rapid CIty. [8D]

[Jjenesr]

I think we will reach a point, sooner or later, where many people, depending on their location, may, (will), not have a choice, but to ride commuter service. Maybe sooner than most would think, or like.

JJ

[jvasser]

I ride the Virginia Railway Express 5 days a week. Compared to the alternatives, the 45 mph average speed IS high speed!

[TH&B]

QUOTE: Originally posted by f14aplusfl

Let me put it to you this way... i am a college kid and for the price of a ticket for Acela from Boston's South Station to NYC's Penn Station (which today is an insult to the glory of the former station, let alone railroad) there is a 20-40 minute difference in comparision to one behind a HHP-8 or AEM7 regional train. Also it costs more to take an Acela train and I cannot use a student advantage card for a discount. For adults there is a 70 dollar difference between Acela and a normal Regional train.

Now the majority of all High Speed rail lines outside the US, mainly Europe and Japan are on dedicated High speed line. While travelling the NEC, I recall passing Metro North (even following a MN train) and Providence & Worchester RR trains. The problem with high speed rail initiatives is also money but more importantly NIMBY's! They'd rather have an airport be built versus a train line even if it is several miles from their home.

But see you guys and girls on Amtrak!

I was on the hi speed dedicated right of way train in Germany and an old slow train slipped in front of the ICE and delayed it. Even at larger stations like Kassel it would even pull up beside the slow train across the platform but it would not overtake. This slow train delayed the ICE all the way to Hannover where the trains went to different destinations. I was on the slow train hehehe..... and man that was smooth track.

[Anonymous]

Let's face it, people, it will take a government program like the Interstate Highway program to ever get Hi-Speed Rail in the U.S., and then folks will have to get tired of fighting the 1-2 hour drive to the airport, the security checks, and driving vehicles that, along with aircraft, are fast using up the limited supply of fossil fuels. And now we are staring to have a hydro-generating problem due to lack of rain in some areas of the country. We are a nation of consummers, and not very good at being efficient at it.

[jimitimi]

The question is specifically about commuters, so I don't necessarily think commuters (in a short distance definition) would use high speed rail, but as high speed rail becomes more prevalent, bedroom communities will be able to be farther away from core metro areas, as took place with freeways.

However, this country needs to wake up and invest in a rail system that is first class. My dad just took a business trip to Portland from the Twin Cities area. He flew out to Portland and took the Empire Builder back. He is a supporter of Amtrak and had the worst trip he has ever taken. The train was late leaving Portland and kept getting later and finally arrived in St Paul 4 hours and 45 minutes late. The equipment was in bad shape, toilets not working, etc, and the crew wasn't really all that friendly.

When I picked him up, he said that the train didn't deserve to carry the red, white and blue of an American system. He is a staunch republican, (as am I), so I told him that David Gunn has a detailed 5-year plan to bring the system to a state of good repair. I told him to contact the Bush Administration and get on them. He said he would.

We live in Wisconsin and I am glad to see my rep and two senators sign the letters in support of Amtrak funding. Also, Wisconsin is on the Tier I list for high speed rail bewteen Milwaukee and Madison. Now if we could just get the federal match..............People need to get their heads out of their SUV tailpipes and realize that a very modest investment nationwide would develop high speed corridors (not necessarily "bullet trains") and provide a safe energy efficient alternative to driving or flying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More on this later

[Anonymous]

There are some interesting ideas here. I think there can be a balance between commuter train and "high speed" trains.

Suggestion: Have Amtrak only run "limiteds" between large cities and have commuter agencies (local or states) ruun the commuters between smaller towns and the larger cities, thus eliminating many Amtrak stops. Example: the Capitol Limited leaves Chicago, stops only in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, then arrives in Washington D.C.
This saves 5- 10 minutes per intermediate stop. Eliminate 12 stops and you've cut 1-2 hours off the trip time without buying new trainsets or upgrading tracks.

Suggestion: Here in SE Wisconsin, CP Rail took up most of the double track between Milwaukee and St Paul. Instead of that, have Amtrak buy/lease that "unneeded" track and dedicate it for passenger use. I read on these forums thatmany railroads are single tracking lines so this may work in other parts of the country as well.

Suggestion: Bring back the idea of a "slumbercoach". The seat in a Superliner reclines so far as it is, why not take out every other row and have it fold all the way down into a "bed". Charge two or three times the coach fare (still less than first class), do not include showers or meals, and in theory Amtrak could make more out of the same car with fewer passengers.

These are just ideas and I'm sure there are problems with them, but let's start thinking and bugging our representatives.