The Obama administration has supported train travel since day 1. There is no question about that. Have they done anything that is revolutionary? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

At every public event, the administration speaks about their support of high speed rail, trains in general, and Amtrak. Here is a quote from Vice President Joe Biden:

My support for rail travel goes beyond the emotional connection. With delays at our airports and congestion on our roads becoming increasingly ubiquitous, volatile fuel prices, increased environmental awareness, and a need for transportation links between growing communities, rail travel is more important to America than ever before.

Support for Amtrak must be strong–not because it is a cherished American institution, which it is–but because it is a powerful and indispensable way to carry us all into a leaner, cleaner, greener 21st century.

I agree with paragraph one, but not paragraph two. Amtrak is what we have, but it is not what it should be. It is not powerful and is not indispensable. I often wonder if an airport/airline way of business would be better. Should the federal government simply build the railways and rail stations, while letting private companies provide the trains and run the routes?

I am not sure if the above suggestion would work, I simply thing that Amtrak has a LONG way to go. Either way, train travel needs a larger fraction of the money that is spent subsidizing airlines and road ways. Perhaps then we can better answer the question of how to best run a train transit system in this country.

Tags: Administration, Amtrak, Joe Biden, obama

Check out the full article here:

Through 69 years of service, since the days of lace-up ski boots and leather straps, the ski train from Denver to the Winter Park ski area carved out a deep tradition in the psyche of Colorado’s winter landscape. On weekends from the city’s Union Station, and through the sunburned après-ski parties on the way back down, the train evoked an alpine culture before the interstate, and the megaresort, and the high-season traffic jam. But the train may have chugged its last.

This dispute is saddening in that 13,000 tickets had to be refunded and returned to customers. That means at least 13,000 people will now drive to their ski trip rather than take the efficient train. What a shame that some one can not step in. Think of the oil that will be consumed. People are not going to stop their trip. It is time our government gives us a real transportation system in this country to get us off our addiction to oil.

Tags: oil addiction, train, transportation

I have been pushing for train travel – primarily high speed rail – for some time now. Then, April 20, 2010, and the BP oil spill disaster brought it all home. No, if we had high speed rail – even a truly functional national system – in place even years prior, I think the demand for oil would still be great enough that BP would still have been drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and they still would have tried to make extra profits but cutting corners, and the spill would still have happened.

So, I don’t think train travel is the solution for our oil demand.

That being said, it will cut our demand for oil. And provide alternatives for those that wish to cut oil demand. And provide a convenient, comfortable form of travel. There are so many positives to train travel, that it is shocking that so little exists in this country. If only Amtrak could keep to their schedule and run an efficient operation. Or if only the federal government would build an interstate track system that would be leased to private train operators. If only … so many exist that could make our world a better place. So much damage by our demand for oil. The Gulf is in terrible shape and we need to act quickly to change. Already some evidence that the oil spill is promoting train travel – and high speed at that – starting with Wisconsin.

Tags: high speed rail

Need to get to the casinos in a hurry? Good news:

A company hoping to build a high-speed train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas has added plans for a connecting line to Phoenix.

Entire article.

Tags: high speed rail

Trains were Garry Coleman’s hobby and his ex-wife plans to scatter his ashes on train tracks. I never knew this about the Different Strokes actor, may he rest in peace.

Tags: model trains

Difficulty remains for passing high speed rail, as seen in New York state.

If installed, the high-speed trains would reduce the travel time from Albany to Buffalo to less than four hours

Luckily, the state has reached an agreement with CSX to upgrade their freight track to use for high speed rail.

Tags: high speed rail, trains

Nice article about this Swarthmore man who loves toy trains. Its amazing but virtually every child loves trains. What happens to them as they age that they no longer feel the love for trains? I think we all still do to a great extent, we just don’t have the ability to travel by train. It’s not a reality as it should be!

Tags: Toy Trains

We are not alone……………………..

Even the British are feuding about their train system – why can’t they have high speed rail?

We need a worldwide concerted effort to promote rail service as a necessary means of travel. No longer are we entitled or should I use the word enslaved by the automobile.

Tags: British, high speed rail

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan joined state and local leaders in Milwaukee in celebrating new high-speed rail service.

What? High speed line from Milwaukee to Madison
Increased speed on the line from Milwaukee to Chicago
Feasibility study for a line from Madison to Minneapolis-St. Paul

How? $823 million in federal stimulus

Disclaimer: It will be 2013 before the line reaches 110 mph, still much slower than other high speed routes in the world. But, a step in the right direction at least.

My home state misses out or does not care about this type of federal money and improvement to transit.

Tags: Development, Federal Stimulus, high speed rail, Wisconsin