I make trips to Pittsburgh for company reasons (conventions included) and personal reasons (I’m going for the day with my cousin Richard to visit relatives at the end of this month). Each time I go, I have to drive (or someone does). It’s about a three hour trip. Imagine if I could take the train…it would be a 1.5 hour trip (approximately). It’s possible that the first portion of my fantasy could be a reality sooner rather than later. The urgency to improve our rail system to help our economy is not just about passenger rail but improving and assisting our ailing methods of hauling freight. As mentioned here before, even freight workers/unions are lending support to The Ohio Hub and improved Amtrak lines. The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) included a link to a Forbes article with a bit more depth on the value of high speed rail systems to the freight hauling industry; and this includes everything from chickens to UPS to mail to cars….here is a quote from the article:
”….The object of the study is what does it take to get this done, not just look at the corridor but to sit down with the freight railroads,’ Nicholson said. ‘There really ought to be a benefit in it for them, because they own the corridor.
Among the freight railroads that own track that could be used for passenger service are Norfolk Southern Corp.(nyse: NSC – news - people ) and CSX Corp.(nyse: CSX – news - people ), said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. He said other states including Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Michigan, Illinois and Texas have requested studies on the feasibility of expanding rail service.
If the Ohio study determines that cost would not be prohibitive, the state could have passenger trains running within four years….” (the emphasis is mine.)
We’ve already had an extensive economic impact study which concluded the cost to benefit ratio was even rosier than expected. Now, with fuel prices soaring (and I’ll add with our highway infrastructure in need of such costly repairs) this additional Amtrak review should illuminate the situation even more. Costs are about more than benefits of course it’s about how much will it cost and do we have the ability to pay for it. Here’s an article from The Fort Worth Weekly about one of the other states hoping to get high speed trains too: Texas. We have the 3C Corridor, they have the T Bone Project.
Also from my MIPRC email, this from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the Bush budget and needed changes in order to meet infrastructure needs concerning rails and highways.
Peace Out – The Other 3C
0 responses so far ↓
1 Bonnie Erickson // Mar 12, 2008 at 3:43 pm
One of my fond memories as a young mother was the rail trip we took from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Canton, Ohio. We had two kids, 4 and 6, and the train was not glamorous, but we turned the seats to face each other and read stories, slept through the night, ate our bag lunches, and generally enjoyed the scenery. No whining from the kids or “Are we there yet” because each child had full time attention from an adult. It had to be reasonably priced as well since we didn’t have a lot of discretionary money then.
2 Carole Cohen // Mar 12, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Such a good visual on that story Bonnie; it’s not like me to be conspiracy theory oriented, but when the auto industry really took off and suburbs were de riguer, that seems to be when funding for trains dried up; I sure hope we can reverse the situation!
3 Carole Cohen // Mar 19, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I tried to click on my email to get here and respond to a comment and I hit the wrong link and deleted it! I’m going to redo it
4 Patty K // Mar 19, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Having lived overseas with public transportation that extended 45 miles out from the City Center I know this can be done. Perhaps now with rising fuel costs, a desire for a greener America and need for time better spent this idea will finally be given the serious attention and support it deserves
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