High-speed rail projects gaining momentum?

Ray LaHood

A few weeks ago, we at US Infrastructure speculated that high-speed rail projects in the US had stalled despite global support of the systems and the recent success of the Gautrain in South Africa. Despite billions of dollars being invested into the future of high-speed rail, it seemed that if for the US, high-speed rail was destined to be nothing more than a pipe-dream.

Until now.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said that in part to high-level meetings between himself and freight rail executives, federally funded high-speed rail projects in Illinois and others parts of the country could get under way in as little as two weeks.

It had been freight rail companies that had been voicing the most concerns about high-speed rail projects as most of the $8 billion in stimulus funds was to be put entirely into passenger trains services.

After the meeting with the freight rail head honchos, LaHood was quoted as saying, "I said to them, this is the president's and vice-president's vision and we need to get moving on it. We're going to have some very intense meetings here for the next couple of weeks so we can get some agreements in place."

"Committed to the goal"

It is a far cry from last month, when the rail industry was stunned when the Federal Railroad Administration proposed stiff terms for the grant agreements - that railroads must sign with states to get funding to upgrade their rail systems.

The Federal Railway administration (FRA) also angered rail companies by saying that they should be made to pay, without limit, for any further improvements or fixes needed to meet on-time performance goals set out in the grant agreements, or else pay back the federal grants.

Speaking after the meeting with LaHood, a spokesman for Union Pacific Corp., which is working with Illinois to create high-speed passenger service between Chicago and St. Louis with $1.13 billion in federal funding said, "We have a number of issues with these guidelines, and we made our concerns known to DOT and FRA, (however) the meeting was constructive and everyone remains committed to the goal."

While the specifics of the meeting have yet to be revealed, Mr LaHood said "both sides renewed their commitment to get high-speed passenger rail funding agreements hammered out with states soon."

"What I'm telling you is, I believe over the next two weeks whatever issues there are are going to be resolved, at least in these four corridors we're talking about including Illinois", Mr. LaHood said. "The specifics will be worked out. There's a sense of urgency; we need to get going. We want some of this work to begin this year."

Only time will tell, but with most countries apart from the US and the UK implementing high-speed rail projects, it's time for US high-speed rail to gain... well... speed.

Relevant articles:

Has US high-speed rail stalled? | California's $2.25bn high-speed rail fund | $8 billion high-speed rail funds to be spent? | China to aid US high-speed rail

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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