Amtrak wants to be foundation of U.S. high-speed rail

National Rail Plan

Vilas Bhuchar, Jun 10, 10.

Amtrak wants the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to recognize its existing passenger rail system as a foundation for the development of U.S. high-speed rail, according to Railway Age.

Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s Vice President of Policy and Development, said Amtrak’s current network of rail services provides a “solid base” from which to build a National Rail Plan (NRP), adds the story:

“Amtrak’s current network of high speed services in the Northeast Corridor, short-distance corridor services run in partnership with the states, and overnight long-distance services spanning the nation, is a solid base on which to build a truly 21st century national intercity passenger rail system.

“The NRP should lay out a clear national vision for this network and contain strategies for improving and expanding intercity passenger rail services where such service can advance key national priorities like congestion relief, transportation safety, energy efficiency, environmental protection, and sustainable development,” said Gardner.

Furthermore, because Amtrak is a company with ties to the federal government, it believes it should be included in the final NRP, notes the story:

In written comments to the FRA, Amtrak said that because it is a company chartered by the federal government, and overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the final NRP should address the department’s views on Amtrak, its future, and its role in delivering the type of modern and efficient intercity passenger rail service envisioned in the preliminary NRP.

Finally, Amtrak recommends that specific goals be set to ensure that future rail connects cities in an efficient manner, concludes the story:

Amtrak said it is recommending that “a specific target be set to connect all pairs of metropolitan areas with populations of one million or more, and separated by less than 600 miles, with frequent, reliable, high speed intercity passenger rail service. In addition, matching intercity rail development plans to appropriate markets must be a key aspect of the NRP, [since] in a nation as big as the United States, not all travel markets will require the same levels of service. In some cases, high speed, very frequent rail service may be necessary to create a viable alternative to existing travel options, while conventional intercity service may be more appropriate for other corridors where the market may be smaller.”

Amtrak Press Release including letter to FRA (pdf)