Tag: passenger rail

Dec 06 2008

Dear Joe, I want a High Speed Electric Train for Christmas (Pt. II).

Burning the Midnight Oil for Energy Independence also in Orange

For the last eight years, development of Energy Independent transport has been faced with a dog-in-the-manger administration fighting furiously to move forward into Cartopian vision of endless crude oil fueling endless road works so people can drive endless hours to actually get wherever they need to go to do whatever it is they need to do.

However, there is hope. This year, the Amtrak funding bill included substantial funding for restoring the North East Corridor to an adequate state of repair. On November 4, California passed Proposition 1A, providing $9.95b in bonds for the California High Speed Rail (HSR) and connecting infrastructure. And then, on November 19, John Kerry and Arlen Specter introduced the a bill for funding High Speed Rail projects:

Titled the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008, the bill would provide money for tax-exempt bonds to finance long-stalled high-speed rail projects.

So let’s look at the projects that are on the drawing boards.

Nov 04 2008

GOTV for CA-Prop 1A and HSR

xposted from Agent Orange (the poll is over there)

Californians have a special privilege this election year. Note only do you have an opportunity to participate in the election of Senator Obama as President, but you have the opportunity to lead the nation with a massive step toward a more Energy Independent, environmentally responsible transport system.

From the CHSRA:

So, good morning California, and don’t neglect the importance of getting out the vote.

Aug 16 2008

Midnight Thought on Living Energy Independence (asleep on a train)

First draft edited using the excellent online editing tools at Agent Orange

Over the past two years, I’ve looked at several levels of rail in the nation’s transportation system

  • “True” or “Very” High Speed Rail (HSR)
  • “Express” HSR
  • Rail/Air integration
  • Rail/Bus Integration
  • Rail/Bike Integration
  • Long Distance / Local Rail Integration …

… but not as much on the coast to coast rail network. However, when on occasion one of my diaries struck a chord, the coast to coast rail network always came up. So with a Friday off, I’ll take a crack at it today.

For reference, this is the network proposed by the National Association of Railroad Passengers

Aug 09 2008

Midnight Thought on Living Energy Independence

Excerpted from Burning the Midnight Oil for Living Energy Independence (8 August 2008), in the Burning the Midnight Oil blog-within-a-blog, hosted by the EENR

Would California have HSR today if it had been settled by France? That’s what Michael Mahoney argued last Friday in the SFGate Open Forum.

The French, according to Mr. Mahoney, have a straightforward approach. The High Speed Rail train leaves the city on regular tracks running like an ordinary interurban express. When it gets out into the countryside, the HSR tracks start and it kicks up to full speed … 220mph and over, depending on the specific train. Then when it gets to into the urban area of its destination, it switches to regular tracks and back to running like an interurban express.

Most of the route is through the countryside, and that’s where its cheapest to build … both directly, and in terms of cutting down on the cost of overpasses.

SO … what did they do in California?

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