Stimulating projects

	Tom Judge Editor

Hardly a day goes by without one or two press releases or media stories on rail projects being carried out using stimulus funds crossing my desk. Many involve transit or other passenger rail projects, but some are to enable railroads to handle freight more efficiently. Then there’s the $8 billion in seed money to promote high-speed rail passenger projects around the country. It all adds up to a great influx of government cash to the railroads, probably the most our beleaguered industry has received since the building of the first transcontinental railroad more than 140 years ago.

In my home state of Illinois, where we are always proving we have the finest government money can buy, the state government did something right in passing a $3-billion public works program, including money from the federal stimulus program. About $290 million of that will go to Metra and another large chunk to the Chicago Transit Authority for bus and rail improvements. This is a good example of good use of funds, and one many other state are emulating.

As an observer of railroad infrastructure issues, I’m delighted to finally see large amounts of cash go to where they can do so much good in taking trucks and cars off our highways, saving money, reducing emissions and helping to wean us off foreign oil. But several worries are niggling at the back of my mind.

First, while it’s a lot of money, it’s not nearly enough to create a real sea change in this country’s transportation system. For instance, a visitor to my office scoffed at the amount for high-speed rail, saying it was just about enough to elevate the tracks through downtown Springfield, Ill.

We all have to remember that this is seed money. We have to give people an alternative to driving, something that just doesn’t exist right now. If we can use the money wisely, perhaps for just one carefully targeted project, as BNSF’s Matt Rose suggested, then maybe we can create a surging demand across the nation. Just one proven success will lead to other cites and states demanding the same type of service. That’s why it’s so important to choose carefully.

I’ve lived in Chicago and Illinois all my life. While I really love where I live, I’m not naive enough to think we can toss a big pot of money around and expect it to be spent wisely. All of us in the industry, especially those with engineering knowledge, must keep a close eye on proposals. We have to demand that money be spent on well-justified projects, not on some political whim. And when the worthwhile projects are selected, it’s up to us, working with various media and solid, trustworthy elected officials, to make sure the money is spent the way it should be spent. We must demand quality, but we have to keep the gold-plated turnouts and silver switch machines out of the picture.

If the projects selected are good and the money is spent wisely, then I think we can expect to see lots more money being spent for railroad projects, something that would benefit us all.

Tom Judge, Editor