When is High-Speed Rail Fast Enough?

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth G. Sislak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Hampton Roads ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Rail Service

The vision for high-speed rail in America includes corridors that are “emerging” as candidates for investment in passenger rail service improvements including increasing maximum authorized speeds to 90 and 110 mph. Will increasing speeds up to 110 mph be cost effective in terms of attracting new riders? This paper will explore the results of studies examining incremental capital costs and the marginal ridership and revenue increases in the Richmond – Hampton Roads passenger rail project and other current emerging high-speed rail corridors throughout the United States.

A Comprehensive Framework for Assessing Passenger Rail Services: A Case Study of the Hoosier State Line

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Dimitra Pyrialakou ◽  
Konstantina (Nadia) Gkritza
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Rail Services

The development of a nationwide commuter and high-speed rail (HSR) network has been suggested as a promising and “greener” passenger transport solution with the potential to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, given efficient planning that will ensure sufficient ridership and sustainable investment. It is anticipated that passenger rail growth will bring regional economic benefits as well as promote energy independence, transportation safety, and livable communities with improved accessibility and inter-connectivity. Much research has been conducted to identify the benefits and costs associated with the operation, maintenance, and improvement of passenger rail services. However, previous studies supporting investment in passenger rail have generally considered one evaluation factor at a time. Additionally, studies suggesting that investment in passenger rail is not cost-effective give more weight to quantifiable benefits and current conditions, and rarely consider changes in public preferences influenced by policies and fostered conditions to encourage mode shifts. Thus, the literature lacks a comprehensive approach that would evaluate investments in passenger rail, accounting for quantifiable and other benefits, in light of environmental, resilience and sustainability, economic, demand, and feasibility factors. Using a case study of the Hoosier State line, this study illustrates a systems approach for comprehensively assessing passenger rail services in the United States in terms of the system’s existing opportunities and future directions. The Hoosier State line operates four days per week between Indianapolis, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois with four intermediate stops. As of October 1, 2013, the State of Indiana, local communities, and Amtrak reached an agreement to support the Hoosier State line for the next fiscal year (2013–2014).

scholarly journals Potential Scenarios of Concern for High Speed Rail Operations

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Carolan ◽  
Laura Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Speed ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operating Environment ◽  
System Safety ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Occupant Protection ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Rail Service

Currently, multiple operating authorities are proposing the introduction of high-speed rail service in the United States. While high-speed rail service shares a number of basic principles with conventional-speed rail service, the operational requirements on a high-speed rail system are typically more demanding than those for conventional-speed operations. The operating environment will require specialized maintenance and inspection procedures, enhanced protection or grade-separation of highway-rail crossings, effective separation of other rail traffic, and detection of potential hazards along the track to help ensure the safety of the system. With the required implementation of positive train control (PTC) by passenger-carrying rail operators, the frequency and/or severity of several types of railroad accidents can be decreased. While all of these measures will contribute to the overall system safety, incidents that pose a threat to passenger and crew safety may still occur that cannot be prevented through the design of the operating environment alone. It is important to consider these types of incidents when selecting the rail vehicles for use in a particular operation, and include appropriate crashworthiness and occupant protection measures. This paper presents a series of example scenarios of some of the potential hazards that may affect the safe operation of high-speed passenger trains in the United States. These situations are drawn from actual accidents that have occurred in the U.S. and abroad. The scenarios provide a starting point for discussing system safety features, which includes vehicle crashworthiness and occupant protection features. As an operating environment may be designed to limit the likelihood of certain types of incidents from occurring, three different hypothetical high-speed operating environments are discussed in this paper. While the number of potential scenarios varies with each operating environment, in all environments it is important to consider the need for a train’s crashworthiness features to mitigate the consequences of potential incidents.

scholarly journals Benchmark of the Trends of Spatial Inequality in World Megaregions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6456
Author(s):  
Ziqi Liu ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Liwen Liu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Investment Strategy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spatial Inequality ◽  
Theil Index ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
International Learning ◽  
Regional Product ◽  
Index Measure

There have been growing concerns around the world over the rising spatial inequality (SI) amid fast and vast globalization. This paper presents an effort to benchmark the conditions and trends of spatial inequality in 37 megaregions in the United States, Europe, and China. Furthermore, the study selected three megaregion examples and analyzed the effect of developing high-speed rail (HSR) as an infrastructure investment strategy on reshaping the spatial pattern of job accessibility. The study measures spatial inequality with the Theil index of gross regional product and with the rank-size coefficient of polycentricity. Results show that spatial inequality exists and varies in magnitude within and between megaregions. On average, Chinese megaregions exhibited the level of spatial inequality about two times or more of those in the U.S. and European megaregions. The decade between 2006 and 2016 saw a decrease in the Theil index measure of megaregional inequality in China, but a slight increase in the United States and Europe. Fast growing megaregions exhibit high levels and rising trends of spatial inequality regardless of the country or continent setting. HSR helps improve mobility and accessibility; yet the extent to which HSR reduces spatial inequality is context dependent. This study presents a first attempt to assess and compare the spatial inequality conditions and trajectories in world megaregions aiming at promoting international learning.

Benefits Forgone

2016 ◽  
pp. 53-80
Author(s):  
Eric C. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Actual Cost ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Feasible Option ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Rail Service ◽  
Practical Constraints

By conservative, reliable, objective, and preliminary estimates, the United States could generate at least $660 million annually – $26.4 billion over four decades – by building and operating faster, more frequent, more dependable, and more highly integrated passenger rail service in four corridors: The Northeast; the Chicago Hub; California; and the Northwest. Numerous studies by a variety of national and international organizations and government agencies suggest that the actual cost of building and/or improving passenger rail service lines is significantly less than the cost per mile of other modal alternatives. In fact, in many corridors, passenger rail is the only feasible option for adding capacity, given the practical constraints facing aviation and highway expansion. Further, by integrating improved, higher speed intercity passenger rail service into the existing transportation system, major issues of congestion, mobility and economic inequality can be addressed.

The Altamont Corridor Rail Project Joint Use Corridor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent D. Ogden
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Northern California ◽  
San Jose ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Union Pacific ◽  
Separated Operation

The Altamont Rail Corridor Project will develop a new dedicated regional passenger rail link within Northern California for joint use by regional intercity and commuter trains connecting between the northern San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area as well as statewide intercity trains fully compatible with the 200+ mph system being developed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (the Authority). The corridor, which follows portions of the transcontinental railway, is presently served by the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) operated by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (the Commission) and is eligible to receive California High-Speed Rail bond funds. The Authority and Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop the project which will greatly improve the existing service by providing a new dedicated passenger line separate from the Union Pacific Railroad over which the current ACE service operates. The strategic geographic location of the corridor within the Northern California network allows operation of a wide variety of services through Altamont Pass including commuter trains to the Bay Area, intercity corridor trains and regional intercity trains between Sacramento and San Jose` with the possibility that high-speed “bullet” trains from the statewide network could ultimately operate along the route. Although the shared-use potential broadens interest in the project, concomitant planning challenges include identifying workable, cost-effective solutions to incrementally develop the 80+ mile corridor over time while migrating the service presently provided by standard heavyweight diesel locomotive-drawn consists to a fully electrified, grade separated operation capable of supporting operation of 220+ mph lightweight trainsets.

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