Amtrak president speaks on high-speed rail

Amtrak President Joe Boardman participated in a roundtable discussion regarding high-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor hosted by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman U.S. Representative John Mica.

Below is Boardman’s statement:

"It is critical for the Northeast Corridor to remain a public asset for the generations of Americans that are depending on our collective leadership to secure their future. It is about connecting the major metropolitan communities of the Northeast, and also connecting the Northeast to the rest of the United States.

"As a result of Amtrak’s stewardship and improvement of the Northeast Corridor infrastructure, train speeds have increased from 90 mph to 150 mph, America’s only high-speed rail service was introduced, and additional capacity was created to support significantly expanded commuter rail operations. We have collaborated with Northeastern states on a plan to make additional infrastructure improvements to the existing corridor and have unveiled a revolutionary vision to build a new corridor that supports 220 mph high-speed rail service.

"Amtrak was created by Congress precisely because the privately-owned railroads could no longer sustain the vital public service of intercity passenger rail. No other operator or company is prepared to mobilize to take over the operation of the Northeast Corridor nor are they funded to cover the long-term capital and operating costs."

Caltrain construction and maintenance

California’s Caltrain will be undergoing construction and maintenance January 29-February 4.

San Bruno Grade Separation Project:

Work on the San Bruno Grade Separation Project will take place Monday, Jan. 31 through Friday, Feb 4. This work includes continuation of the storm pipe installation near the intersection of San Bruno and Huntington avenues; communication cable installation near Walnut Street and another near the Scott Street crossing, drainage improvements near the I-380 overpass; upgrading signal systems and preparation work for the construction of the future temporary station.

Night work will include installing temporary signal structures and new signal houses near the Scott Street crossing and construction of the retaining wall for the temporary station. Any required digging work will require the use of a backhoe, mini-excavator and jackhammer and noise levels could potentially reach 75 decibels at times. Crews will use generators to power portable light towers.

The $147 million project will elevate the Caltrain tracks above three existing at-grade street crossings at San Bruno, San Mateo and Angus avenues. A new elevated Caltrain station will be constructed between San Bruno and San Mateo avenues, replacing the existing station at Sylvan Avenue.

Santa Clara Station Improvement Project:

Work on the new pedestrian underpass at the Santa Clara station will be from Saturday, Jan. 29 to Friday, Feb. 4. The underpass will connect the north- and southbound platforms, allowing two trains to pass through the station at the same time and improving safety for pedestrians in the station.

The work is part of an 18-month station improvement project that will add a new wider, longer center-boarding platform and extend the southern platform 150 feet.

San Mateo Bridges Rehabilitation Project:

Caltrain will begin retrofitting four rail bridges in San Mateo on Monday, Jan. 31. The project involves seismic improvements to the bridges that cross Poplar, Santa Inez, Monte Diablo and Tilton avenues. Construction activities include excavating around current bridge foundations, installing new foundations and building new abutments to enhance the strength of the bridges.

Jerrold Avenue Bridge Replacement Project:

Crews will continue building the piles for the foundation of the new Jerrold Avenue Bridge in San Francisco. Work will be done from Monday, Jan. 31 to Friday, Feb. 4, from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Construction activities include excavation, removing bridge overhangs and moving earth.

Santa Clara County Grade Crossing Improvements:

Construction on a VTA project that will improve safety at eight grade crossings in Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto continues.

Maintenance:

Caltrain will perform routine maintenance at several locations. San Francisco to Milbrae,
Sunday, Jan. 30 to Thursday, Feb. 3, crews will resurface tracks and replace crossties between the Bayshore and Millbrae stations. Palo Alto to Santa Clara, Monday, Jan. 31 to Thursday, Feb. 3, crews will weld and resurface tracks between California Avenue and Santa Clara stations. San Jose, Sunday, Jan. 30, crews will weld on the tracks north of the San Jose Diridon station.

CSXT starts its second year with EDF Climate Corps

CSX Transportation will continue its participation in Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Climate Corps for 2011. EDF Climate Corps places top MBA students in companies to develop practical, actionable energy efficiency plans that cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

As a result of its participation in the program last year, CSXT and the company’s fellow identified savings of more than $160,000, 1.5 million kWh of electricity (enough to power 140 homes), and 940 metric tons of CO2 (equivalent to removing 150 SUVs from the road) annually.

“CSX’s commitment to the environment has enabled the company to drive great results for the planet and our bottom line,” said Carl Gerhardstein, assistant vice president, environmental systems and sustainability. “We are constantly seeking ways to improve energy efficiency across our network, and we look forward to continuing our work with EDF to identify additional improvements.”

The railroad was the first transportation company to set its own goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CSXT committed to reducing its carbon dioxide intensity eight percent by 2011. As part of this effort, CSXT has deployed fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly “GenSet” locomotives in rail yards across its network. 

Over the last decade, CSXT invested more than $1.5 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet with technology that reduces fuel consumption and air emissions. Through all of these efforts, the company has improved its fuel efficiency by more than 90 percent since 1980.

“We are pleased that CSX will continue to participate in EDF Climate Corps,” said Rachel Hinchliffe, project manager for corporate partnerships, EDF. “EDF’s goal is to challenge both companies and fellows to identify environmental innovations and best practices that protect the environment and make business sense.”

WMATA Board names new CEO and chair; four new members join

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to confirm Richard R. Sarles as general manager/chief executive officer of the transit agency, to continue the work he began as interim general manager in establishing a safety-first culture, modernizing the system and improving service for riders. 

Catherine Hudgins has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of WMATA effective immediately. Hudgins, a Board member representing Fairfax County, Va., succeeds Peter Benjamin, whose one-year term as chair has ended.

Four new members have joined the board, Tom Downs, Tommy Wells, Mary Hynes and Kathy Porter.

Iowa City-Chicago railway plans are a no-go for now

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will not allocate funds for the Iowa City-Chicago railway in the near future, the governor’s communications director, Tim Albrecht, is reported saying in The Daily Iowan.

Branstad said at a press conference that he is skeptical of the project during tough economic times, but did not rule out allocating funds in the future.

The federal government has pledged $230 million for the $310 million project. Iowa would have to contribute $20 million to the project in addition to $45 million from Illinois.

It remains unclear what would happen to the federal funds if the rail was not built immediately.

The Obama administration rerouted $1.195 billion in federal funding from Ohio and Wisconsin in December, after governors in both states indicated their rail projects would not continue. Iowa was a beneficiary of the re-directed funds.

Rail spur projects approved by Ohio Rail Commissioners

Rail spur projects at three industrial development sites with the potential to create much-needed jobs have been given the go-ahead from ORDC Commissioners.

An $85,000 grant and $85,000 loan for a rail spur project will allow the Cleveland Commercial Railroad to serve a new steel trans-loading facility. The four steel processing firms that could be served by the Transload facility employ approximately 320 people. The rail project also opens up new markets for steel processors by providing another shipping option.

Commissioners approved a request by the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority for the ORDC to serve as project sponsor so the Port Authority may access $475,000 in federal rail line relocation funds for a project to improve grade crossing safety and further develop rail service into the industrial park.

In Van Wert County, a grant of up to $500,000 was approved for the rehabilitation of a portion of rail line into a 1,600 acre Job Ready Mega Site that could generate up to 2,500 jobs and improve service and business for two existing companies. The project also improves rail service for two existing companies.

A $235,000 grant for track rehabilitation and repairs to four bridges on an unused portion of the City of Greenville-owned rail line was approved. The grant will leverage up to $58,000 from the City for the project, which is needed for the reopening of Johnson Controls’ Greenfield plant, creating 130 new jobs and another 80 jobs on a planned second production line.

Staff-approved projects included the following:

A grant of up to $150,000 for the first phase of rehabilitating the 26-mile Indiana & Ohio rail line between Lancaster and Logan. Leveraging another $150,000 from the railroad, the project will improve the effectiveness of rail service to three rail dependent shippers that employ 259 people. The project is also critical to expansion/investments by companies that will add 30 to 50 new jobs.

A $125,000 grant for emergency repairs to two bridges on the Ashtabula, Jefferson & Carson Railroad that would benefit several major local shippers and may assist another company that desires to ship by rail. The project would also benefit a weekends-only tourist train on the line that brings travel and tourism dollars to the local economy.

Approval of funds for these projects to move forward will require State Controlling Board approval.

WMATA weekend trackwork on Red, Orange and Blue Lines

From January 28-30, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will upgrade areas of track and the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will continue construction activities on the Orange Line. This crucial work, which includes repairing rail fasteners and repairing tunnel leaks, is critical to maintain the railroad in a state of good repair and ensure reliable service.

During the work, trains on the Red, Blue and Orange lines will be single-tracking from 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 28 to closing on Sunday, Jan. 30.

Red Line Service: Metro will replace fasteners and repair tunnel leaks. As well as make track and station improvements that will help improve reliable service.

Orange Line Service: Trains will use a single track while rail and insulators are replaced and the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project conducts major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system.

Blue Line Service: Metro will replace concrete slabs underneath the rails to help ensure more reliable service and a state of good repair and perform maintenance work related to the Wilson Bridge Project.

Agreement made for new intermodal transit terminal in Guelph, Ontario

An agreement between Canadian National and the City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, closed this week allowing the ity to proceed with its plans for a new intermodal transit terminal on Carden Street. The $1.5 million purchase allows work to resume on-site in the next four to six weeks.

The city now owns the land it needs to build the open-air transit terminal. The city already purchased the existing Greyhound station and plans to remove the building to make room for the new transit platform.

A pending agreement with VIA Rail is expected to transfer ownership of the VIA Rail station to the City of Guelph this summer. An estimated $1 million dollar interior renovation project will preserve the building’s National Heritage status, improve accessibility and allow the station to accommodate all VIA Rail, Greyhound, GO Transit and Guelph Transit users.

The $8 million dollar intermodal transit terminal is one of 25 projects that make up the city’s Guelph Remastered Infrastructure Upgrade Program which is funded in part by Provincial and Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Funds.

CTA 2010 ridership: overall decrease but rail up

The CTA has concluded that the 2010 combined bus and rail ridership totaled 516.9 million rides, a decrease of 0.8 percent, or 4.4 million rides, compared to 2009 ridership. Although ridership decreased, total 2010 ridership finished stronger than expected considering the impact the recession has had throughout the year and the reduction of bus and rail service in February. CTA projected 2010 ridership at 512.2 million rides. 
 

Rail ridership was 210.8 million for 2010, an increase of 4.1 percent or 8.3 million rides, compared to 2009. The largest ridership increases were recorded outside of the morning and evening rush periods. 

 

“We have worked hard to provide riders with enhancements such as CTA Train Tracker and improvements to CTA Bus Tracker to help offset the impact of service reductions. These technology improvements have helped us reach a large number of riders while keeping a tight rein on the bottom line,” said CTA President Richard L. Rodriguez. “The fact that CTA has lost very little ground from a ridership standpoint under the most difficult financial circumstances this country has seen in decades is something I feel is reason to look forward to the new year and hope that the economy continues to rebound, even if at a slow pace.”

 

“It would be unreasonable to expect that the growth in ridership CTA has experienced in recent years would sustain itself with so many people unemployed and businesses struggling. The fact that it is less than a 1 percent drop demonstrates the value of public transit as a convenient, cost-effective travel option,” said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Terry Peterson. “We remain committed to providing as much service as we can within our limited resources and ask that our riders stick with CTA while the economic recovery moves forward.”

  

Over the past decade, CTA has seen overall ridership grow by 37.3 million rides, or 7.8 percent. Rail ridership has lead the surge with a 19.6 percent increase (34.6 million rides) compared to 2000.

Amtrak to temporarily relocate from Denver Union Station

Beginning February 1, Amtrak will temporarily relocate from the Denver

Union Station to 1800 21st Street, at the intersection of 21st and Wewatta Streets, west of Coors Field in Downtown Denver’s Prospect Neighborhood.

The move is necessary to accommodate construction of the new commuter rail station at Denver Union Station that will serve Amtrak and the East, Gold, North Metro and Northwest Rail commuter rail lines. When improvements are complete, Denver Union Station will be the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks transit expansion program and will serve as a multimodal hub for the region. Amtrak will return to Union Station in the spring of 2014.

In addition to the eight-track Amtrak and RTD commuter rail station, the $484 million

Denver Union Station redevelopment project includes a 22-bay regional bus facility, new light rail station for current and future light rail lines, extension of the 16th Street Mall Shuttle and several public plazas to integrate transit services with adjacent neighborhoods.

Last year, 128,410 Amtrak passengers used the Denver station.

"The opening of the temporary Amtrak station represents another significant milestone for the project," said Elbra Wedgeworth, president of the Denver Union Station Project Authority.

L.B. Foster awarded rail contract for CRANDIC track upgrade

L.B. Foster Company was awarded a contract by Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway to provide approximately 1,000 tons of 115# standard rail for the upgrade of aging track and for the construction of a new 10,000-ft. siding for a unit train interchange. An L.B. Foster weld train will deliver 54,450 linear feet of continuous welded rail in February 2011 for track rehabilitation as required for the upkeep of 60 miles of mainline rail and 40 miles of yard track. L.B. Foster Company has also provided 82,000-ft of CWR to the CRANDIC in 2009.

The new rail was manufactured in lengths of 240 feet by L.B. Foster’s strategic partner, Steel Dynamics, Inc., and then welded into 1,650-foot sections at their rail welding facility. The welding of rail strings began on January 24 and proceeded quickly to accommodate an expedited shipping schedule in early February. L.B. Foster personnel will coordinate the transport and unloading of the train to meet the ambitious delivery date.

"Managing a CWR shipment with our own company weld train allows L.B. Foster to expedite delivery and meet critical project deadlines," said Joe Mahoney, L.B. Foster regional sales manager.

Obama

In a state-of-the union speech on January 25, 2011, the United Transportation Union reports, President Obama singled out high-speed rail as "the most reliable way to move people," saying that "within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail, which could allow you go places in half the time it takes to travel by car.

"For some [high-speed rail] trips, it will be faster than flying — without the pat-down," said the president. "As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway." 

The White House press office said the president would release more details on his desires for high-speed rail, transit and Amtrak improvements when he delivers his fiscal year 2012 budget request to Congress in early February.

"Countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do," said the president in his speech. "China is building faster trains … We have to do better. America is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad."

Many Republicans, however, have signaled they will oppose Obama’s high-speed rail spending proposals and also seek to reduce federal subsidies for Amtrak during congressional budget deliberations.

However, the chairman of the House Rail Subcommittee, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), indicated he is not opposed to more spending on high-speed rail and Amtrak, but has reservations.

He said, "The Obama administration’s high-speed rail grants, rather than focusing on a small number of projects with the most potential for success, have been spread among numerous projects. Most of these have been grants to Amtrak, and nearly all are slower-speed rail projects. 

"In addition, the administration has virtually ignored the one region of the United States where high-speed rail makes the most sense and would have the most national benefit — the Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston. Amtrak’s Acela currently serves this route, but at an average speed of only 83 mph."

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the subcommittee’s parent, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has voiced support for more high-speed rail funding in the Northeast Corridor and for a limited number of high-speed rail projects — but with private sector investment in addition to federal funding.

 

CSXT to invest $2 billion

CSXT Corporation will invest $2 billion to increase the quality, flexibility and capacity of its rail network. That’s on top of the $1.8 billion the company invested in 2010, a year in which operating income was $3.1 billion. 

"CSXT believes in the ability of the U.S. economy to continue growing and is committed to supporting its customers as that occurs," said Michael Ward, CSXT chief executive officer. "This is an important time for CSXT and other companies to take stock in what we need to do together to drive growth and increase U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace while creating jobs." 

The company also said that it will increase employment by one to two percent in 2011 as business levels continue to return in an improving economy. CSXT currently employs 30,000 people.

 

Viterra confirms interest in MPA Grain Terminal

Viterra Inc., a global agribusiness, has confirmed that it is in discussions regarding a possible transaction to lease and operate the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) Grain Terminal. 

The MPA Grain Terminal is a CGC licensed transfer elevator, which operates year round and has a storage capacity of 262,000 metric tons. The terminal is located in the deepest inland seaport in North America and connects directly to both CN and CP rail networks. It provides direct and efficient shipping routes to various destinations in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. 

These discussions are ongoing and no transaction has been finalized at this time.

 

TTC to close portion of Yonge subway for trackwork

The Toronto Transit Commission will be constructing a new double cross-over section of subway track at College Station on the Yonge-University-Spadina line. Once completed, the new cross-over will result in more efficient and reliable service. When completed, subway trains will be able to turn back at College Station. At this time, trains must turn back at Union or Bloor stations. 

In order to undertake this work, the TTC will close the Yonge line from Union Station to Bloor Station on three weekends, starting with Saturday, January 29 and Sunday, January 30. Regular subway service will resume on Monday, January 31.

 

New special interest group for rail transport

ODVA will form a new special interest group to evolve ODVA technologies for rail transport. Aimed at enhancing ODVA’s specifications with services and device profiles to meet the needs of rail transport, the resulting standards are expected to provide a comprehensive solution for rail transport, encompassing on-board train controls, monitoring, signaling and demand-response. The formation of this special interest group reflects increased interest in ODVA technologies by OEMs in the rail transport industry. 

The strong business outlook for rail transport is driving increased investment by OEMs in information and communication technologies (ICT) such as the ODVA technology portfolio. ICT will be critical to the realization of improvements in safety and service in combination with market demands for increased rail capacity and higher performance equipment. The intimate connection of rail transport with key sectors of the economic ecosystem – industrial, retail, commercial, residential and government – mandates that future ICT implementations in rail transport adapt automation technologies that are open, interoperable and whenever possible, embrace the use of commercial off-the-shelf and standard, unmodified Internet and Ethernet technologies. All of these attributes are exemplified by ODVA and its cornerstone technologies, the Common Industrial Protocol and EtherNet/IP. 

"This is a new market sector for ODVA technologies, which ODVA is entering due to the interest of members," said Katherine Voss, executive director of ODVA. "As one of ODVA’s vertical market SIGs, the Rail Transport SIG will provide a unique opportunity for leaders in the rail industry and information technology to collaborate for best-in-class, open and interoperable communication standards for the next generation in railway transport." 

The SIG is expected to hold its initial invitational meeting in the first quarter of 2011.

 

Savage to construct, own and operate a multi-user railport at Trenton, N.D.

Savage Companies has made plans to construct, own and operate a large multi-user rail terminal in Trenton, N.D. The terminal, to be known as Trenton Railport, will be served by BNSF, and will be designed to bring large-scale rail service to the Bakken Formation with oil-field related materials such as tubular, frac sand and other strategic materials, including the capability to load and ship unit trains of crude oil.

The 270-acre site on which the Trenton Railport will be built was secured by Savage in cooperation with Yellowstone Ethanol, LLC. Bob Gannaway, president of Yellowstone, stated "We are excited to be working with Savage, and see where it will bring many new opportunities for our area." Savage has begun first-level engineering, design and permitting studies and anticipates that construction will begin later this year, with completion expected by late 2011.

The facilities will include rail infrastructure, open space for oil field materials storage, and receiving capability for frac sand and other materials. In support of its Trenton Railport customers, Savage intends to provide a total service model featuring the providing of railcars, and a complete logistics package.

 

Laramie, Wyo. to begin trans-modal rail project this spring

The Laramie Economic Development Corp. is currently on track for developing its proposed South Laramie Trans-Modal rail site project this spring, reports the Wyoming Business Report. 

The project will allow Laramie and Albany County businesses to access Union Pacific track and will be constructed south of the old UP tie plant. 

The LEDC received the State Lands and Investment Board’s unanimous approval on January 20, for an $805,050 Wyoming Business Council Business Ready Community Grant. It will use the grant for new rail spur infrastructure, including ties, road base and design and construction costs. 

On January 21, the Wyoming Department of Transportation approved a WYDOT and Albany County Industrial Road Program Grant for $500,000 for the project. 

Once the of LEDC’s lease agreement is finalized with UP the city of Laramie and Albany County each stand ready to loan LEDC $100,000 each from their respective economic development recapture funds. 

LEDC hopes to call for proposal requests in early February and plans to begin construction 60-90 days after a contractor has been hired.

 

Alaska Railroad permit for construction in danger

The Alaska Railroad Corporation has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reject the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to impede a permit for construction of a bridge over the Tanana River near Salcha, Ak. The Alaska Railroad has requested the Corps of Engineers grant the permits under the Clean Water Act so work can begin on the Northern Rail Extension project to Delta Junction. 

The NRE project will extend the rail line from Eielson Air Force Base to Delta Junction in four phases and provide year round access to military training grounds on the south side of the Tanana River after the bridge is completed. The recent actions by the EPA threaten to delay and possibly eliminate Phase 1 of the NRE, effectively canceling the entire project. 

The NRE project is supported with federal funds from the Department of Defense and the State of Alaska. The NRE project is broken into four phases, with the Phase 1 calling for a bridge over the Tanana River near Salcha, providing, for the first time, year round surface access to substantial military training grounds on the far side. Phase 2 through 4 would extend the rail line southeast, approximately 80 miles to Delta Junction. The total cost for the project is estimated to be about $800 million. 

The NRE project has been under a formal environmental review at the direction of the Surface Transportation Board since 2005 with an Environmental Impact Statement published in the fall of 2009. The STB’s formal Record of Decision dated January 5, 2010 approved the route to Delta Junction. The STB’s decision gives the Alaska Railroad a green light to proceed with filing for the proper permits in order to begin the design and engineering of Phase 1. After nearly four years of extensive environmental analysis, the EPA in 2009, concurred with the alternatives considered by STB and the selection of Salcha as the crossing point of the Tanana River as described in the Draft EIS document. The EPA has suddenly reversed its position in two letters to the Corps of Engineers (November and December, 2010) and elected to impede the adjudication of the Corps of Engineers’ permitting process by challenging these fundamental findings from the EIS.  

"To say we are disappointed in the EPA’s recent actions would be an understatement," said Alaska Railroad Vice President of Engineering and Chief Engineer Tom Brooks. "The EPA concurred with the STB that this should be the preferred route. Having the EPA come back at the eleventh hour and try to circumvent the environmental process by now objecting to the findings to which they previously agreed puts this project in serious jeopardy." 

The Alaska Railroad first learned of the EPA’s objections after applying for required permits under the Clean Water Act to begin the project. One of the EPA’s claims is the Tanana River should be considered an "Aquatic Resource of National Importance" under Section 404(q) of the Clean Water Act. 

The Alaska Railroad has responded to the EPA’s concerns by noting that the NEPA process executed by STB is required to weigh the entire suite of environmental impacts in the approval of the project, rather than allow a single regulatory concern to skew result. The Alaska Railroad supplemented the Corps of Engineers permit application with further minimization and "avoidance of impacts" through additional and more costly design refinements than the EIS provided.

 

Calif. looks at high-speed rail possibility

More than 100 California public and private sector transportation leaders voiced strong support for implementing high-speed rail in California in a report from the Center for Urban Infrastructure at Brandman University. The report said that in addition to the advantages of job creation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the top priority should be creating a more efficient mass transit system. The leaders also said California is in a prime position to build a high-speed rail system that will attract riders and private capital from multiple sources. 

The report examined the views of public officials, private sector developers, transportation planners and investment backers who attended a conference sponsored by the Center for Urban Infrastructure in late August. Among the results, the survey showed 89 percent of the transportation experts give widespread support for high-speed rail. More than half of the respondents believe that private investment, including foreign investment, is seen as an important part of the high-speed rail system’s success. The survey shows that transit connectivity is an extremely important component to a successful high-speed rail system. The transportation leaders also said there is strong support for additional public/private partnership legislation. 

Last month, the California High-Speed Rail Authority decided to begin construction of the Anaheim-to-San Francisco system on a 120-mile stretch of track in the Central Valley – between Fresno and Bakersfield. Approximately $5.5 billion is available to California today to begin construction on the statewide system. Preparations will continue on the rest of the system to connect this first segment of new infrastructure to major population centers in California. 

"More than 80,000 jobs will be created in the Central Valley over the next five years," said Curt Pringle, chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. "Companies from throughout California and investors from around the world are looking at California high-speed rail as a valuable investment and economic development opportunity. Our great state has only two options – move forward to invigorate and strengthen our economy or be left behind in a gridlock of freeway congestion and high unemployment rates."

 

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