High Speed Rail (Boston to... Texas?)

People taking the train to Disney fly into Orlando International Airport (a stop on the proposed line).
 
Banker & Tradesman - November 16, 2009
New England States Team Up For High-Speed Rail Funds

Associated Press

Today

Transportation leaders of the six New England states say they're teaming up to boost the region's chances for federal stimulus grants for high-speed commuter rail and freight service.

Top transportation officials from all six states met Thursday in Connecticut and will get together again in February in Portland, Maine.

Joseph Marie, Connecticut's transportation commissioner, says the states want to coordinate strategies to achieve a common goal. And David Cole, Maine's transportation head, says a team approach boosts everyone's chances at winning some of the federal money.

All six states have applied for stimulus grants for regional high-speed rail service, but don't yet know if they'll get the money.
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I would rather see the NE corridor states caucusing on this. We don't really need high speed rail to Hartford or Portland - honestly, it would be a waste of resources when upgraded regular rail would serve such destinations just fine. We really do need hypercompetitive NE corridor rail service.
 
I wonder how great of an effect will building a High Speed Line on the NE corridor have on the smaller cities such as Portland, Hartford, Providence, etc etc. We all know what happened to Chicago when the trains came. Would it cause a boom?
 
KentXie said:
I wonder how great of an effect will building a High Speed Line on the NE corridor have on the smaller cities such as Portland, Hartford, Providence, etc etc. We all know what happened to Chicago when the trains came. Would it cause a boom?
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Probably not for providence.... the best route would be the inland one.
 
czsz said:
I would rather see the NE corridor states caucusing on this. We don't really need high speed rail to Hartford or Portland - honestly, it would be a waste of resources when upgraded regular rail would serve such destinations just fine. We really do need hypercompetitive NE corridor rail service.
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I'm not so sure about Hartford, but a quick, easy connection between Boston and Manchester/Portsmouth/Portland would have a great impact on the region.
 
^ You could achieve that with nonstop or limited regular trains.

You do not need to invest in a 200km/h train for the route between Boston and Portsmouth.
 
It would sure make the morning commute a bit more pleasant if commuting from the North into Boston, or commuting from Boston to Maine during the summer months. I like the idea and see the benefits, both on quality of life and economic potential. This sort of thing is all over Europe, and at even shorter distances.

I agree that the NE corridor should be improved and upgraded as well.
 
Nowhere in Europe allocates trains that fast to distances that small.
 
^Yes, HSR is in Europe at smaller distances. The LGV, the ICE -- two examples.
 
Sorry, how far is it from Boston to Portsmouth? Well under two hours? There might be ICE trains that stop at intervals that far apart, but there are no point to point HSR lines that are that distance and that don't stretch beyond any further.

I mean, it's a question of resources. Yes, it would be great to have HSR to everywhere. But I'd rather it connect major cities first.
 
Sure, and if it were a national service funded and connected by the national government, that would play out just fine. I wish it were. It isn't, and if this region is going to push forward with HSR then I am all for it. I'm not sure I agree that connecting the bigger cities first is even the best approach. Interconnectivity between regional outposts makes a lot of sense in getting Americans on board with rail.
 
Any idea how much a hsr ticket from Boston to Portsmouth would cost? I don't see Americans dropping too much cash for a train ride, especially if they were to be doing it for a daily commute.
 
GW2500 said:
Any idea how much a hsr ticket from Boston to Portsmouth would cost? I don't see Americans dropping too much cash for a train ride, especially if they were to be doing it for a daily commute.
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Boston to Providence starts at $30 on Acela (I think).
 
Roxxma said:
Nowhere?
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Munich -> Nuremburg = 171km

Boston -> Portsmouth = 83km

Nuremburg = 500,000 people

Portsmouth = 20,000 people, smaller than most suburbs of Boston

Barbaric said:
Yup, Europe is the perfect model for everything!
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That's not the point. My argument is this: Europe is generally more willing to build and operate HSR. If Europe can't justify building an HSR at that distance, the US certainly can't.

Justin7 said:
Boston to Providence starts at $30 on Acela (I think).
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Keep in mind the only reason that Acela even touches Providence is because it happens to be between Boston and New York. You'd have to have a higher price to fund a rail link that was solely between Boston and a small city like Portsmouth, or it would have to be far more subsidized than Acela, which isn't likely.
 
czsz said:
Munich -> Nuremburg = 171km

Boston -> Portsmouth = 83km

Nuremburg = 500,000 people

Portsmouth = 20,000 people, smaller than most suburbs of Boston
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Boston -> Portland, ME 172km

That was the original point. A stop in Portsmouth or Manchester would only make sense along such a route.
 
Last paragraph is relevant:

Senate hopeful pitches free T for all
Dave Wedge, Boston Herald

Straphangers would get a free ride and the T would get a massive federal bailout under a transportation plan being floated by Republican Senate hopeful Jack E. Robinson.

?(The government) put $185 billion into (troubled lender) AIG. That would fund the T for 40 years,? Robinson said yesterday. ?There is money to be used smartly and intelligently.?

Robinson, who is running against state Sen. Scott Brown for the GOP nomination in the race for the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy?s vacant seat, is suggesting the MBTA bailout as part of a proposal to make all public transportation nationwide free. Robinson aides said there are cities in Washington and Oregon that offer free public transit.

Robinson trumpeted the plan last night at the Park Street MBTA station, much to the delight of subway riders.

?I think that?s awesome,? 33-year-old commuter Jason Harris of Boston said. ?Free is great.?

Robinson said the plan could work if the feds kicked in the $453 million a year the T rakes in from fares. In addition to saving commuters money, Robinson said the plan would help the environment by getting more cars off highways.

Robinson?s proposal also calls for a $3 billion bullet train from Springfield to Boston that would travel at 180 mph and run alongside the Mass Pike.
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Can you even connect those three cities with one linear route? I think you're talking about justifying two lines at least.

And, BTW, the Munich-Nuremburg line still serves way more people than a line connecting all those northern New England cities would. The populations of Portsmouth, Manchester, and Portland combined don't equal Nuremburg's, let alone the other cities (like Ingolstadt, which is around the size of Manchester) along the German route.
 
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