Posted on Friday November 13th by Alex Lessard-Pilon | 82
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- In an effort to concentrate California’s rail efforts on new high-speed lines, Gov. Schwarzenegger snuffed out a proposal for $1.1B in federal HSR funds to fix (non-high-speed) commuter rail. Positive-control braking systems, which must be in place by 2015, were among the proposed improvements. (LATimes)
- Rail expansion is the “cornerstone of Beijing’s fiscal stimulus plan”; it’s budgeting $90B for rails this year and next, and $15B more for rolling stock. 13,000km of new line should be complete by 2012. (WSJ - Google headline for full article)
- 86% of Canadians support high-speed rail, and 68% think all levels of government should be involved in funding the projects. “Put this in the store window,” says a pollster. (National Post)
- First Canada. Now this. Thai business ministers approved a $3B investment plan to build an HSR network to connect Bangkok to the country’s four regions. At this rate, Bermuda will probably have HSR before the US. (Some site)
- A high-speed train derailed in western Turkey. No injuries have been reported, but there have been several similar accidents in recent years, including one in August that killed five people.( BBC)
- Competition is heating up in the British market for HSR, as National Express, which has significant debt, announced a bid to raise capital right on the heels of the Spanish Renfe’s confirmation that it is interested in expanding in the UK. (Times)
- An Australian travels Europe by train, and finds it quite nice. They’re easy, on-time, and comfortable. They have dining cars and arrive in city centers. The traveler shares a diary of his trip from France to Germany to Switzerland (on the FART line).( SMH)
- A blogger says that “Someone Has To Be First” to get HSR in California. He’s right. Sacramentans are not happy about this. They don’t even have a seat on the board! (CAHSR)
November 14th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I’ve taken the FART several times (partly because I live less than an hour from Locarno, where it begins on the Swiss side). Slow, but very scenic, and just as fast as the long way around via Milano. If you have the chance, it’s a fun one to take. Just bring ear plugs for the flange squelch. The line has been open since 1923, and it shows.
BTW, FART is an acronym: Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi. I.e., “Regional Bus and Rail Company Ticino,” where Ticino is the name of the Swiss canton.
November 15th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Good for al those countries who are getting them some HSR. Props to China for stealing the show, 13 000 km by 2012. WOW! Here we are projected to start building a 700 mile + system in 2011 in California and it won’t be complete until…. well at least it will only take 8 - 11 years to get phase 1 going…its a start, a pathetic start, but a start none the less…
The only way the USA gets HSR, IMHO is with PPP’s. The uproar over government spending is going to hold up any progressive initiative, such as the transport reform, the country needs to get off its oil binge. Yeah there is the huge debt problem, there is also a definite need for improved mobility across the country , the solution requires a progressive thought/planning/execution process that will benefit the people who will be paying for the services to be provided. Can someone pass a law that gags NIMBYS for the benefit of the greater majority?
Maybe the Oracle of Omaha can show the initiative that is needed, he has the money to start something.
An interesting article on PPP’s, with some good points, can be found here:
http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature68385/