The Future of Passenger Trains – Here and There.
Item One: The Japanese government has given the go-ahead to a private firm, JR Tokai, to begin work on a new high-speed train that will run between Tokyo and Osaka. Initial cost estimates are 9 trillion yen or about $111 billion. But here’s the thing: this train will use maglev (magnetic levitation) technology!
Item Two: At the moment, the only scheduled maglev operation is in China, taking passengers from downtown Shanghai to Pudong Airport (above photo). But on June 30th, the Chinese will formally begin high-speed rail service between Beijing and Shanghai. Express trains on the route will cover the 820 miles in something like 4:45, which is averaging over 170 miles an hour.
Item Three: Back here in Washington, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee are getting ready to decide where the dollars will go for the coming fiscal year … and that, of course, includes money for Amtrak. Here’s the cheerful prediction from NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers:
“…it seems certain that the subcommittee will impose a crushing funding reduction on Amtrak, possibly zeroing out the national network and limiting capital funding to the bare minimum needed to avoid bankruptcy.”
Really makes you feel proud, doesn’t it.
Yessir! That is EXACTLY what needs to be done!
Everyone that reads this… throw a hundred bucks toward Chairman Mica’s opponent’s campaign in the next election… do that to every Politician who votes Rail down for a while… 1 to 2 election cycles ought to do it. Oh, Do add a note explaining what you have done to the politician who votes against rail…
These guys are making enemies with proposed cuts to everything… at the same time taking care of their rich buddies… we need to help their opponents… It can work.