There was a nice nice diary which threw the question out about regional high speed rail and why can't we have it like those Frenchies. I ride Amtrak regional service weekdays and I thought I would share my experience so people out there can understand some of the problems that exist today and how we can take the dialog to the next level.
I currently reside in New Hampshire. I grew up here and moved to greater Boston when I went to school, and enjoyed very much the investment Massachusetts has made in its public transportation infrastructure, despite some of the challenges it faces now with capacity and antiquated systems it has little choice but to maintain.
A couple of years ago, I moved back to New Hampshire to help my mother get through the passing of my father. But I still find myself commuting to Boston everyday, because of the kind of work I do. I take the Amtrak Downeaster regional service, which goes from Portland, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts. This service is relatively new, and it came about through grassroots effort just to get the service in. The service is decent, but it is far from perfect. I equate it to commuting to work everyday via commercial airline.
As some Kossacks know, recently this service was almost shut down because Amtrak was not able to make any money doing it, and it was saved only through an act of Congress, supplying funds to Amtrak (corporate welfare/ bail out - I don't like it, but I am glad it happened this time), to keep it running.
My commute is about 75 miles and my fare is $299 a month for unlimited rides. Most people would assume this would arrive in Boston in about 45 minutes, but in reality it takes 90 minutes if there are no delays. Additionally, there are only 2 runs in the morning that work-a-day people can take to get an 8 hour day in (that is another problem, but we'll get to that later.)
So why does it take so long? Well there are actually a number of reasons:
- Each state the train travels through has the authority to set the maximum speeds the train can travel at. The train travels through Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. All with their own requirements.
- Other entities as well get to dictate how the tracks are used. Why? Because in New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts, the tracks are privately owned by freight service companies. I was told that originally, the company that now currently owns the tracks in New Hampshire, refused to allow Amtrak to operate on its tracks. It took another act of Congress to get this done. During the summer, the current owner limits the speed at which the train can operate because it is trying stretch the lifetime of sections of track (causing more delays). Once again, privatization has proven itself to work against the interest of the public.
- Massachusetts is very densely populated in many areas and it is rail system is essentially the same ones that have existed for 100+ years. People live & work right next to track. There is no room for growth and also no room for error when it comes to operating the trains. A derailment could be catastrophic in many areas. Not to mention Massachusetts has its own commuter rail service which it does not want competition for. (This is also a reason why the train is late.)
We have not had any leadership for a long time in the United States that was willing to act on behalf of the public or the public interest. If the purpose of government is to prop up and promote corporations, than we are doomed as a nation in the long run, and most certainly high speed rail is doomed from the start.
We can no longer afford to allow corporations to compete in the halls of Congress, the Senate, and the White House. As pointed out the article, we cannot favor the automobile industry or the airlines or rail service. They must compete in the market place. Corporate profits do not equate to high standards of living (except for perhaps CEOs and their golden parachutes.)
The interstate highway system would never have been built if it was left up to the private sector. The investment was enormous. But it paid off in many ways. It put people to work after World War II, and it connected our country like never before. When we talk about projects like high speed rail, it's important to think of it in these terms.
Oh and by the way, I do have a French half sister who lives in Paris, and yes, TGV sets a standard that makes me wish the last race was the trains race, not nuclear arms!