The 11 corridors/regions eligible for high-speed rail funding are in red and blue. Since the New Haven-Springfield line would improve the Northeast Corridor, it could be funded with stimulus money.
Connecticut could benefit from the United States’ recently announced national high-speed rail plan — and the $8 billion in stimulus money planned as a “down payment” on the plan. Last Friday, CT House Speaker Chris Donovan said he would convene a working group of Connecticut and Massachusetts stakeholders aimed at winning high-speed rail funds for the New Haven-Springfield rail project.
The working group will help shape Connecticut’s application for stimulus funds, which will be awarded on a competitive basis; applications for individual projects are due in August. The group will also investigate how to speed up the project’s environmental review, which is scheduled for completion by early 2010. Donovan also asked that ConnDOT Commissioner Joe Marie join the working group, and called on Gov. Rell to release $30 million from the state Bond Commission for planning and design for the New Haven-Springfield plan.
The day before Donovan’s announcement, Tri-State called on Connecticut officials to aggressively pursue high-speed rail funds for the New Haven-Springfield project. At full buildout, the plan would add an additional track to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, one of 11 corridors eligible to receive high-speed rail funds.
At a Vision Long Island meeting today, New York Smart Growth Cabinet Chair Timothy Gilchrist called competition for high-speed rail funds “stiff,” given the strength of projects in places like California and the Midwest. That’s all the more reason for Connecticut to make a concerted effort for funding.
Image: Via Federal Rail Administration.
Don’t forget about us!
Washington and Oregon, through our own DOTs have been working towards HSR along the Cascade Corridor between Eugene, OR and Canada since 1999. Tilt trains, capable of 125 mph, have been gradually defining a market share and offering an alternative to driving or flying. Results so far are impressive. Trains carry many more travelers between Seattle and Portland than do airlines, using half the fuel and producing half the pollution per passenger mile at a lower cost. This is an amazing statistic, considering our fast trains are still limited to just 79 mph for lack of federally mandated safety, signal and track improvements. Reducing bottlenecks with freight trains will finally allow our fast trains to go fast.
We look forward to working with President Obama and Sec. LaHood to offer America an additional option for travel, while reducing our needs for imported oil and polluting our atmosphere less.
Mike Skehan, Member, All Aboard Washington
Given the past schedules, major investment would be needed to straighten out the alignments in Connecticut for even moderate high speed (90 – 125 mph). Nimby reaction is likely. Also current FRA strength rules (400 ton crush strength compared with 110 ton crush strength for the TGV) add to the weight of the equipment and make higher speeds more expensive than they should be. Given the track record of TGV equipment in 87 mph grade crossing collisions on non-LGV track, I am dubious that FRA strength standards protect passengers any better than European standards.