American high-speed rail gets moving in North Carolina

Last week I blogged about finalizing a high-speed rail grant agreement with Maine that will extend the Northeast corridor up to Brunswick. Yesterday, we finalized another high-speed rail grant agreement, this one with North Carolina.

Yesterday's agreement will help North Carolina complete mechanical upgrades and refurbish its passenger coaches and locomotives. This will allow the state to further expand service on its increasingly popular Charlotte-Raleigh run and begin preparing its leg of the Southeast High-Speed Rail corridor.

With these agreements in Maine and North Carolina, American high-speed rail is rolling out of the station and gaining momentum.

And what it's delivering to North Carolina is, as Senator Kay Hagan said, "first-class, high-speed passenger rail that will make traveling across our great state easier and more efficient, reduce congestion on our roads, and lessen dependence on foreign oil."

"Most importantly," she added, "This project will create jobs."

That sentiment was echoed emphatically by Rep. David Price, who said, "This funding will further what must be our highest priority: putting North Carolinians to work." 

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue also put employment benefits at the top of her list, saying, "For our citizens, it means jobs, economic development, reduced congestion and a cleaner environment."

And they are right about that.

The initial $20.3 million creates 34 new jobs for mechanical workers who maintain the trains and for train engineers and conductors on North Carolina's expanded service.

But that's just the beginning. North Carolina's $545 million total share of high-speed and intercity passenger rail funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create or maintain as many as 4,800 private sector jobs in the state over the next four years, with 1,000 of those expected this year alone as ready-to-go projects get under way. Those jobs will come from more than 30 projects in 11 counties, all part of improving North Carolina's rail service.

Then there is the economic development that will follow the rail line as companies choose to locate where high-speed rail service allows easy travel between business centers. The North Carolina Department of Transportation expects more than 19,000 new jobs as rail service attracts this kind of development.

Of course, there are other some pretty good transportation benefits as well. And North Carolinians seem to appreciate those, too, as the state recently added midday service on the Charlotte-Raleigh route, and plans to expand even more soon.

The highways and airports of the region simply cannot handle growing traffic volumes. We need an affordable, modern, and timely alternative to driving on crowded interstates or flying short distances.

In addition to drawing traffic from North Carolina's increasingly congested highways and airports, the Charlotte-Raleigh route is a critical link to Richmond and Washington on one end and Atlanta and Jacksonville on the other.

“North Carolina has planned well and is set to build a world-class transportation network that will link the Tar Heel State to Washington, D.C. and the Northeast through high-speed rail,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo.

We're looking at speeds of 110 miles per hour between Charlotte and Raleigh, trimming current travel times by over 30%. Add to that the increased connectivity that President Obama's high-speed rail program will make available all the way up and down the line, from Brunswick to Miami, and we're talking about a new era in US travel.

As Gov. Perdue noted, “This award is an exciting first step in the state’s partnership with the federal government to make high-speed rail a reality in North Carolina and the Southeast.”

Look, I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: the President's vision for high-speed rail is an absolute game-changer in American transportation.

And with these grant agreements with Maine--and now with North Carolina--we're starting to put the pieces of that vision in place.

Comments

[daniel]

I hope the livery of the southern acelas differ a little from their Northeastern counterparts. It would add to the experience of taking the train, and be a source of local pride.

[Tom]

It would be nice if instead of just improving the number of trains and quality of the coaches, they could increase the speed from Raleigh to DC. Currently the train has to slow way down through every city and town it crosses, and passenger rail takes a backseat to industrial loads, so unexpected delays can cost hours, easily. 10-12 hours to reach NYC from Raleigh is still forbidding and competes poorly with the airlines.

[Ocean Railroader]

We need to extend the 25Hz Single Phase Pennsyvinia Catenary power system down from Washingtion DC down to Richmond Virginia and on words to North Carolina. So that it will get rid of the 40 minute wait in Washingtion DC to change trains and to allow the Amtrak mainline's old catenary system to tap in to far cheaper southern eletric power vs the pricey power the northern eletric companies sell it.

Here is a photo tour of the new high speed rail line could look like if the catenary was finally extended in to Virginia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQMPEUhm2Bs

[j mosier]

Can't wait for more high speed rail, just wish the ones we are building were a little bit faster.

[Brian]

North Carolina would get even more bang for their buck, if the HSR line to Columbia and Savannah would instead utilize the same mainline between Raleigh and Charlotte being upgraded.

[susan]

It would be wonderful if just once, the western part of North Carolina (Asheville, etc.), was considered for ANY kind of passenger train service.

[Virginia Bicycling Federation]

Virginians are licking their chops over this one, which would be a boon to Richmond and Petersburg. But without the greenway that's being proposed as an integral part of this project, most communities along the route will gain no benefit as the trains go passing by.

The greenway would enable development of both long and short range bike and pedestrian trails, and provide ongoing economic benefits to communities along the route -- through tourism, recreation, and lifestyle enhancement. It's also the best opportunity for the East Coast Greenway (http://www.greenway.org) to run through the region.

The SEHSR Environmental Impact Study (Tier 2), which includes the greenway, is open for public comment. Your comments now can ensure that the greenway stays included. Please attend the public hearings to show your support, and/or submit your written comments. (http://www.sehsr.org/deis/deis.html)

In Virginia, the state provides liability coverage to railroads for recreational use of their property. So allowing public access can actually reduce the railroads' exposure. Federal legislation like Virginia's recreational use statutes might help more rails with trails to be built around the US (there are already many). Rails with trails (http://railswithtrails.org) are a win for everybody!

[procurar]

I hope that to. I will love the experience of taking that train.

[Michael E. Bailey]

High Speed rail will be a major benefit for every community with a station. And if biking and walking trails can be included, everyone will be able to benefit. The way to a true high speed train is to separate street crossings from tracks by having the tracks running over or under the roads and ending the need to have reduced speed at grade crossings. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Eric]

I'm happy to hear that high-speed rail is steaming ahead in America. I've lived in Japan for the last few years, and Japan of course has fantastic rail service--especially high-speed rail, in the shape of the Shinkansen.

Lots of Japanese are also happy to hear that the U.S. is investing in high-speed rail. They are hoping that the American government will use Japan's excellent technology in that endeavor.

Personally, I hope that America does not use Japanese technology, or any other nation's technology for that matter. Building a high-speed rail system is a great opportunity for Americans to remember that they are citizens of what was once the most innovative nation on the planet, by far.

We need to once more start to apply American ingenuity to develop our own high-speed rail technology.

The other big opportunity that is just waiting for enough political will to get behind it is the rebuilding of our power grid using wind, solar and other alternative power sources, and again, American ingenuity.

[Shanghai]

Great to hear America will start high speed rail, and bullet trains looks like fantastic as well, so when will it become reality and boarded by passengers? I know agreement by all parties takes a long long time in Western countries.

[Margaret Pelc]

This is great news for the state of North Carolina. This will definitely boost the economy and help to bring even more businesses to our state. This is something that this state as needed for a long time and it will be great to see this finally come to fruition.

[Harry]

high speed rail is nice, but I won't use it, because jets are 3 times faster. Now when there is high speed rail which goes faster than 500 MPH, (the speed of passenger planes), then, I'll take it.

[Evan]

I have lived in Japan for about a year and have been fascinated by the quality of their rail system. It is great that the U.S. is managing to get a high speed rail system going. I think that it will be a great source of national pride.

[Auto Transport]

I was just discussing the new rail with a friend. We live in Raleigh and like the idea of a faster way to get to Charlotte instead of that 3 hour drive. I agree with the comments about a faster train to DC as well. What I would LOVE to see, however, is a fast rail train to the beach. :)