NEW YORK TIMES Editorial: Most American passenger trains, including Amtrak’s popular Acela service, run at speeds that are far slower than the superfast European and Japanese trains that can zip along at 200 miles per hour or more. The main reason is that, despite modest investments, American lawmakers have not given high-speed rail the priority it deserves.
High-speed rail can play an important role in the nation’s transportation system by reducing congestion at airports and on highways. It can also provide a big economic boost while helping to reduce pollution that is causing climate change. That is why President Obama gave it an important place in the 2009 stimulus bill, which helped kick-start projects to upgrade rail lines and build new ones around the country…
High-speed rail can help ease some of that pressure but only if Congress starts investing in it now. The Obama administration has proposed dedicating $19 billion for rail programs for the next four years as part of its Grow America transportation proposal, but Congress has shown little interest in such smart investments. In fact, since Republicans took control of the House in 2011, Congress has appropriated no money for high-speed rail… (more)
