HSR planning surges!

Yesterday, June 28th, the FRA announced that it will begin accepting applications for $2.1 billion in grants to continue the development of high-speed intercity passenger rail corridors. In addition, $245 million will be available for individual construction projects within corridors. Grant awards for the $2.1 billion and $245 million from the FY2010 DOT appropriations, are expected to be announced by September 30, 2010.

Keep in mind that the report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors projects HSR to benefit Chicago to the tune of up to $6.1 billion per year in new business and up to 42,000 jobs.

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a packed seminar for High Speed Rail in Chicago, which was sponsored by the Japan International Transport Institute and held at the Union League Club of Chicago. Our own Rick Harnish was among the keynote speakers. The large number of attendees at the seminar, coupled with the FRA funding announcements and the eagerness of countries with HSR to work with the Midwest, and the entire U.S. for that matter, are all signs of a rapidly approaching HSR reality for our region and our country.

Below: IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig addresses the crowd.

Glowing news for rail in Chicago

As Amtrak gears up for $115 million in upgrades to Chicago's Union Station, a report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors is projecting that Chicago will gain upwards of 42,000 new jobs and $6.1 billion in additional economic activity from a fully realized Midwest High-Speed Rail Network.

The report is summarized in the below video clip:

Federal HSR dollars delivered to Wisconsin

The FRA announced yesterday that nearly $80 million, of the $8 billion allocated to high speed rail, was distributed to states. As far as the Midwest is concerned, Wisconsin received "$5,700,000 for environmental assessments of planned new stations on the route between Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin that will host passenger rail service operating at speeds up to 110mph."

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Amtrak ridership thrives in the Middle West

An Amtrak press release this past Thursday (4/8/10) states:
In the Chicago hub, ridership on Lincoln Service (Chicago – St. Louis) showed significant growth with an 18 percent jump in March and 11.6 percent for the six month period. Hiawatha Service (Chicago – Milwaukee) continues to grow with a 14.3 percent increase in March and up 4.8 percent fiscal year to date. Elsewhere in the Midwest, the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City - St. Louis) is up 24.2 percent for March and 15.8 percent for the first half of the Amtrak fiscal year, while the Blue Water (Chicago - Port Huron) increased by 21.7 percent in March and 5.2 percent for fiscal year to date.

This increase is due in part to:

• Airlines passing more petty costs onto passengers. Spirit Airlines recently announced that they will start charging $45 per carry-on bag. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will be proposing legislation to prevent Spirit and other airlines from doing this.
  
• More travelers seeing the benefit of rail over air travel for trips of 500 miles or less, as evidenced by the quote from Amtrak spokesman, Marc Magliari, "While Amtrak considers the car its primary competition, the rail service has captured about 16 percent of the combined air-rail market between Chicago and St. Louis."
• 90% on-time performance for the Missouri River Runner, thanks to a 9,000 foot siding built by Amtrak and Union Pacific for $8.1 million (picture below)
  

HSR Money released in Tampa

During the President's trip to Tampa this morning, he announced the recipients of the Stimulus Package's $8 billion in High Speed Rail Grants. The Midwest region received roughly $2.6 billion in federal grants, which is second only to the West region, due largely to the $2.25 billion going to California. Illinois will receive about $1.23 billion of the $4.5 billion it requested. For more read this article from Chicago Breaking News

Secretary LaHood talks more about the announcement on his blog. Below is a picture from the USDOT of the Midwest's grants:

Also, a tour a the historic and soon to be refurbished Union Depot in St. Paul is courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio and Secretary LaHood offers a brief synopsis of 2009 in the Department of Transportation:

Bad weather strikes Amtrak

Mother Nature has given Amtrak a rough few days in the Midwest with:

• 132 passengers having to wait in St. Paul for the weekend.
• Two detailments on the Texas Eagle being investigated.
• Weather conditions in Nebraska and a collision with a truck, causing passengers on the California Zephyr to arrive in Chicago 23 hours late.

Tips for family train travel, VP Biden and a snowy perspective

ABC News reports good tips for taking the train with children, which is becoming an increasingly attractive mode with additional safety measures on airlines.

VP Biden has written an impassioned opinion piece stating, "Amtrak doesn't just carry us from one place to another--it makes things possible that otherwise wouldn't be."

While snow is falling through out the Midwest today, take a look at winter from the perspective of Amtrak's California Zephyr:

HSR & Job Creation from Sect. LaHood

The Tribune reported, "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at a rail manufacturing conference that more than 30 foreign and domestic companies have promised to establish or expand operations in the United States if they are chosen to build high-speed lines. The commitments will ensure the rail program will create jobs in the U.S. and boost domestic manufacturing."

LaHood said he hopes rail-related manufacturing is located in states including Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which leads the nation with 15.1% unemployment.

Keep in mind the FRA has received 45 requests totaling about $50 billion from 24 states. The Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration will award the rail money to states “early next year,” LaHood said. Each State will decide how to spend their share.

In a great article from The Tribune, the superb quality of meals on the Baltimore & Ohio is remembered. One hopes of the day when passenger rail in this country will be not only fast, frequent and dependable, but healthy and delicious... just the way 007 would have it.

Iowa City Rail Supporters Grow, Using Facebook

(Hat tip Trains4America)

The Iowa City Chamber of Commerce is encouraging supporters of rail to Chicago to add their name to a list of supporters, join the Facebook group "I Support Iowa City Rail to Chicago" and tell friends and legislators that you support passenger rail.

France's SNCF hopes to run high speed rail in US

Via Google News - the potential of high speed rail isn't lost on the companies who provide it:

France's SNCF hopes to run high speed rail in US

"The United States is ready for a truly high-speed rail system and France's national railway SNCF would be 'very interested' in operating a network, a senior executive said Thursday.

'We strongly believe that in this country, in some of the corridors, the system should logically be profitable,' SNCF International chairman Jean-Pierre Loubinoux said in an interview on the sidelines of a rail conference in Indiana.

While detailed market analysis still needs to be undertaken, Loubinoux said the French experience has shown that high-speed rail operates most effectively between large cities that are around 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers (600 to 930 miles) apart.

These conditions exist in the east coast, California, the midwest, Texas and Florida.

'You could have more than just a corridor. You could have a system,' he told AFP.

'If the possibility (of operating a network) is open we certainly would consider it with great interest.'"