Could Florida get another chance at high-speed rail?
Eleven years have passed since President Barack Obama landed in Tampa with the promise of a gift that could transform Central Florida: a federally funded high-speed rail line to Orlando. But when the tea party wave brought in a new class of Republican leaders wanting to slash government spending, Obama’s $8 billion vision for a national network of fast-moving trains was killed. Now, the Biden administration hopes to revive those stalled rail projects and the Sunshine State remains a focal point of those efforts. [tampabay.com]
Amtrak Gulf Coast service: analyzing the blame game
Amtrak is attempting to start service between Mobile and New Orleans, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) oppose Amtrak’s plan, and the situation is under review before the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Issues are purportedly operational, having to do with rail capacity at the Port of Mobile, although there are also procedural considerations. There is a political dimension, too, with essentially the entire political establishment in Mississippi supporting Amtrak’s position and all of Alabama’s opposing it. [railwayage.com]
China’s planned undersea line to the US might still be in the works
In 2014, a report emerged that China was ‘in discussions’ to build a high-speed rail line that would go northeast from Beijing, run 8,077 miles (13,000 km) through Siberia, and then travel 124 miles (200 km) underwater, crossing the Bering Strait to Alaska. The ambitious plan would bolster China’s impressive high-speed rail network and boost trade between China, Russia, Canada, and the U.S. Like a nighttime train passing by in the distance, however, the rumblings surrounding the project soon dissipated, and little has been heard of the plan ever since. [interestingengineering.com]
Germany celebrates 30 years journey of high-speed-rail
Thirty years ago, six ICE trains officially inaugurated high-speed service in Germany. Over the following years, the ICE family was developed and expanded until, in 2016, the ICE 4 from Siemens Mobility ushered in a new era in ICE service for Deutsche Bahn. With its flexible configurations and generous interior space (918 seats in a 13-car unit), the ICE 4 has become the new backbone of Germany’s long-distance system. The trains have a top speed of 250 km/h (up to 265 km/h in the future). By 2024, a total of 137 ICE 4 trains will have been delivered. [urbantransportnews.com]
The evolution of China’s incredible high-speed rail network
At the beginning of the 21st century China had no high-speed railways. Slow and often uncomfortable trains plodded across this vast country, with low average speeds making journeys such as Shanghai-Beijing a test of travel endurance. Today, it’s a completely different picture. The world’s most populous nation has — by some distance — the world’s largest network of high-speed railways. [cnn.com]
