Rep @teammoulton [D-MA] has proposed a $205B, 5-year high-speed rail project that would be augmented by another $243B in local, state and private funds; the money would create infrastructure for private rail operators (not just Amtrak) to use.
moulton.house.gov/download/rep-s…
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moulton.house.gov/download/rep-s…
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With a 220mph rail network, we'd get "Dallas to Houston without the 3.5-hour drive. Chicago to Atlanta, with fewer weather delays and stops in Indianapolis and Chattanooga. PDX to Vancouver at 220 mph. LAX to SFO in under three hours."
wired.com/story/lawmaker…
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wired.com/story/lawmaker…
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High, speed, electric rail is green (provided you have renewables to power it) and safe (Japan's Shinkansen system has had zero fatalities in 55 years). Rail is comfortable, with wide seats and dining cars, and relaxing.
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The biggest barrier to mustering political will for such a project is the failures of the planned SF-LA high-speed link, which is vastly behind schedule and over-budget.
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I live about 5 minutes from the local Amtrak station and riding the Surfliner to San Diego is one of the great delights of this arrangement. It's fantastic when it's a work gig in the middle of the year.
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But it's even more delightful during Comic-Con, when it turns into a Mos Eisley Cantina on wheels.
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