Passenger trains gain favor with public, Congress

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | October 31, 2008 | Joan Lowy

[Lorianne]

After half a century as more of a curiosity than a convenience, passenger trains are getting back on track in some parts of the country.

The high cost of energy, coupled with congestion on highways and at airports, is drawing travelers back to trains not only for commuting but also for travel between cities as much as 500 miles apart.

Californians are considering selling billions of dollars worth of bonds to get going on an 800-mile system of bullet trains that could zip along at 200 miles per hour, linking San Francisco and San Diego and the cities in between.

In the Midwest, transportation officials are pushing a plan to connect cities in nine states in a hub-and-spoke system centered in Chicago. The nine states included in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative are: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska.

The public is way ahead of policymakers in recognizing trains as an attractive alternative to cars and planes, said Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

"I think we're at a transformational point in intercity passenger rail service," said Oberstar, D-Minn.

Amtrak, the passenger rail service that struggled for years to attract riders, drew a record 28.7 million in the year ending Sept. 30. That is 11 percent more than the year before and the sixth straight year that ridership has increased. Ticket revenue hit a record $1.7 billion, a $200 million increase from a year earlier.

[madison10]

Wouldn’t mind trains if they were safer to ride, they seem to be plagued with safety issues.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Huh?

[cripplecreek]

Personally I like train travel. That said, I like privately funded train travel even more.

[Clemenza]

As long as the government funds roads, they should fund trades, preferably at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.

I actually think the Europeans are ahead of us in terms of infrastructure privatization. It sickens me to see otherwise conservative folks coming out against allowing private companies to manage our highways, especially when said companies are controlled by "foreigners."

[Alberta's Child]

Trains generally only work in very limited markets . . . as a practical alternative to airline travel in highly-congested “mega-regions” where cities are close enough together that their overlapping exurban areas (Boston-NYC-Washington, for example) make auto travel difficult and time-consuming.

[madison10]

Huh, what? Passenger trains seem to have many safety issues...falling off tracks, bridges, I’ve heard of others, but don’t recall them. Wasn’t there an incident recently where the engineer was texting and caused an accident?

Amtrak isn’t safe.

[oldtimer]

The dumbest thing that the US ever did was to let passenger trains get away from really mass transit.

[Red6]

Socialists LOVE public transportation.

[Alberta's Child]

I’m 100% in favor of these initiatives to lease toll roads to private companies. And if it makes you feel any better, I can almost guarantee that these arrangements will become more common in the future — starting with the next Federal highway bill and the recognition on the part of leaders in both parties that this is the only way the U.S. can effectively rebuild our interstate highway system as it reaches the end of its useful life (it turned 50 years old in 2006).

[Right Wing Assault]

I will only be in favor of these if they give illegals free lifetime passes to ride on them. /do I need to put the ‘s’?

[MaxMax]

I like toll roads. once they sell the idea to the taxpayers, it never gets paid for.

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[Clemenza]

One of the reasons I no longer listen to 101.5 is because so many of their amateur "hosts" are militantly against leasing the turnpike.

Most of the airports in Spain have been privitized, and, believe me, Barcelona airport provides a much better experience than Filthy or Newark.

[hinckley buzzard]

When I was a teenager I rode the train from Cleveland to Denver. From Chicago it was The Denver Zephyr, so-called. It hit 100 mph out across the plains of Iowa and Nebraska. From Denver we caught the Texas Zephyr south through the mountainpasses of Colorado, through Pueblo, Durango, and on to Taos NewMexico. A spectacular ride. I recommend it highly for kids of all ages.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Yes, a recent accident. But that does not “safety issues” make. Give me a break. I’ve ridden local commuters (real trains, not just subways) as well as Amtrak a good deal. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Sounds like you’re simply used to rails being “old-fashioned” and thus, any accident reports - the only times trains are talked about, BTW - go in your head as alarmingly high rates of peril. Look at some stats and see if you can justify it. I’ll bet you can’t.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Bingo.

[Mr. Brightside]

What?

Willie Greene is not here to gloat?

[Clemenza]

The higher the density, to say nothing of natural contours (ie river valleys), the better the location for rail. After spending two years in Seattle, I can honestly say that rail would work there, as the metro area lies in a narrow valley with natural barriers that prevent further sprawl (the Sound, the Cascades, and the Olympics).

I don't see rail working in Houston, let alone Oklahoma City.

[madison10]

Don’t get me wrong, I would love more train travel. I’m used to cars, period, that’s all.

[Clemenza]

MAGLEV!!!