Report Touts Benefits of High-Speed Rail

The Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) is releasing a report that demonstrates how investment in high-speed rail has boosted economies around the world and recommends Pennsylvania do the same. Program Associate Alana Miller says there are dozens of examples that point to the benefits of high-speed rail, "Over 8,000 people were employed constructing the Channel Tunnel into London, the office space around the rail station in Lyon, France has increased by 43% and there was a nearly 30% decrease in car travel between Seville and Madrid -- so that decreases road congestion." Miller admits that high-speed rail requires a big up-front investment but says it's well worth it in the long run. She says the number one voting issue has been the economy and jobs "and this report shows that based on examples around the world, high-speed rail would do a lot for Pennsylvania." With a new Republican administration vowing to cut costs in Harrisburg, the future of high-speed rail in the state is unclear, yet Miller says with the election behind us, it's time to start taking a serious look at high-speed rail in the commonwealth. The report can be found at www.pennpirg.org/report.

Plan to Connect 80% of US with High-Speed Intercity Rail

The nation's top transportation official used an event outside Harrisburg to detail plans by the Obama administration to build a high-speed intercity rail network, though plenty of questions remain about how the project would be funded.
U-S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was among the high-ranking officials who took part in a wide-ranging discussion about infrastructure.
He joined in on the event at Central Pennsylvania College in Cumberland County by satellite.
LaHood says the Obama administration is committed to bolstering investment in high-speed rail -- even though he concedes it's not clear where the routes will go or where all the money will come from...
"We don't know where all the lines will be on the map, we don't know where all the money will come from. But I promise you in less time than it took to create our interstates, you'll start to see high-speed intercity trains carry sufficient numbers of Americans from the Northeast south along the Atlantic Seaboard and west across the Sunbelt."

Following up on LaHood's comments, Governor Rendell said a proposal for northeastern Pennsylvania demonstrates the commonwealth's interest in the concept...
"The Scranton through the Poconos through New Jersey to link up with the tube going into New York is a project that has a tremendous amount of regional support and we're looking to the next reauthorization of ISTEA to see where that goes, no question about it."

LaHood says the ambitious 500-billion-dollar plan is designed to unfold over the next 25 years. As for regional rail, the secretary says those projects could receive federal backing if state and regional officials make it clear that they're a priority.

PA Asks Feds To Help Exand Rail Freight Corridor

Touting a study predicting increased congestion on Pennsylvania’s highways over the next two decades, Governor Ed Rendell called for more federal dollars to improve freight railway infrastructure.
Standing under the blazing sun in a Harrisburg rail yard, Governor Rendell predicted truck traffic will increase by 50 percent along Interstates 81 and 95 between now and 2030.
The governor says that stat, which comes from a new American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Study, underscores the need to invest in rail infrastructure.
He says Pennsylvania and four other states will apply for a 115 million dollar federal grant this month to expand the Crescent Corridor rail line, which would run from Louisiana to New York.
Rendell argues the freight line would create 26-thousand Pennsylvania jobs, and take trucks off the state’s highways.

"So the benefits from this project are not just economic. They’re not just jobs. They’re environmental. They have indirect benefits for Pennsylvania taxpayers. And they relieve congestion for all of us. The less trucks on the road, the less congested our roads are for a passenger traveling, as well."

Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina are joining Pennsylvania in the application.

Investigation into Train Crash

The Federal Railway Administration and Allegheny County homicide detectives are investigating this morning's fatal train crash in North Versailles. The county Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 54 year old Andrew Monheim of Plum Borough. He was the engineer of one of the trains that collided at a point where 2 rail lines converge not far from the U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works. One train had empty cars and the other had cars with iron pellets headed for the steel plant. There were no other injuries.
U.S. Steel spokeswoman Erin DiPietro says the trains are owned by Union Railroad, which is part of Transtar, a U.S. Steel subsidiary whose trains serve the steelmaker's plants.
An environmental contractor was brought in to clean up diesel fuel that spilled from one of the engines.

Feasibility Study On East End Commuter Rail

During its regular session yesterday, Pittsburgh City Council reviewed a report on a proposal for a train line in the East End section of the city. The feasibility study looked at connecting Hazelwood with Oakland, Bloomfield, Shadyside and Lawrenceville. The estimated cost to build the 4-mile passenger line is $81 million dollars. The commuter line would use existing CSX tracks and a tunnel under Neville Street in Oakland. The proposal comes from Councilman Bill Peduto..."“This commuter rail line is a critical link that will connect the East End’s growing new economy. “This line is also a key connector for all proposals for a regional commuter rail system.”

Maglev, Inc Gets Federal Grant

The Pennsylvania High-Speed Maglev Project has received its largest federal grant ever.
The federal government is giving Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation 28 million dollars to use for construction of a high-speed Maglev line from Pittsburgh International Airport to Greensburg.
Senator Arlen Specter says this grant more than doubles the amount of federal funding that’s been steered toward the proposed Pittsburgh International Airport to Greensburg Maglev line.

"This money is going to be used for updating the project’s financial plan, conducting an independent cost analysis, taking samples from the ground where guideway piers will be placed, and the issuance of a bid for construction of the bridge across the Monongahela River."


Senator Bob Casey says the grant shows how serious the government is about pushing high-speed rail in the coming decades.

"It’s about transportation. It’s about jobs. It’s about moving commerce and economic development. And mostly it’s about the future."


Construction is expected to cost more than $1 billion. Maglev, Inc is putting the finishing touches on another bid for federal funding that’s due in early October.
That money would come from the federal stimulus package, which includes eight billion dollars for high-speed rail projects across the country.

Rail Investment Touted

Pennsylvania is submitting about 28 million dollars worth of bids for stimulus dollars directed at high-speed rail development. In the first round of bid applications, PennDOT is requesting federal funding for upgrades to the Keystone Corridor East line, as well as money for a study of how to increase Harrisburg to Pittsburgh rail service.
In October, the commonwealth will submit plans for a high-speed line from Scranton to Hoboken New Jersey, as well as a Maglev route from Pittsburgh International Airport to Greensburg.
Appearing with US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at a Lancaster County train station, Senator Arlen Specter said the Maglev investment would be worth the cost.

"Is it expensive? Yes. What will it do for the United States, for Pennsylvania? Once we have it, when you can travel by rail 300 miles an hour, it will revolutionize the state."

MagLev, Inc president Fred Gurney says if federal officials simply build on existing rail lines, trains will be constrained to top speeds around 100 miles per hour.

"But if you really want to do high-speed, if you truly want to do high-speed, you’ve got to have separate dedicated track. And that’s where Maglev is very superior, because of its speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. Just slightly over 300 miles per hour."

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood avoided committing to using Maglev technology in the high-speed lines that will be funded by the stimulus dollars.

"We’re gonna consider all proposals. As I said, we’ve been out around the country. Our people have talked to a lot of different regions of the country. And we’ll see what comes in. and we’re gonna evaluate them and then we’ll let you know."

The federal stimulus package includes eight billion dollars for high-speed rail projects. Specter argues improved rail infrastructure will cut down on gas consumption and traffic congestion.

Passenger Rail Service Talks

A Congressional hearing about the future of passenger rail service this morning discussed many possibilities, including improvements made to the Amtrak Daily Pennsylvanian route between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, creating a route to stop at State College, creating a route between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and additional routes to Pittsburgh's light rail system to include South Side, Oakland and the Route 28 Corridor. Amtrak Senior Director for National State Relations Ray Lang says the Keystone Corridor, the route connecting Harrisburg and Philadelphia, is a major triumph. It take 90 minutes to get from one city to the other on an express route, 30 minutes faster than it was before making improvements. Since improvement completion, ridership was up by 26 percent. Lang says the Daily Pennsylvanian route could use similar improvements to become more efficient. Also, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 Patrick McMahon says light rail will pay large dividends, and would be more reliable than other modes of transportation to get to jobs, businesses and run errands. The most practical routes to extend Pittsburgh light rail service to be to accommodate the East End, South Side, and Route 28 Corridor.

PA Allocates $38.5 Million in Railway Funds

Pennsylvania has handed out its yearly allocation of rail freight improvement grants this year totalling $38.5 million. Locally, U.S. Steel received $3.2 million to improve its system within the Mon Valley Works, and Allegheny Valley Railroad Company received $728,000. Allegheny Valley President Russ Peterson says the money will be used to rehabilitate a section of track which runs from Hazelwood and Bruceton through Baldwin, Pleasant Hills, and West Homestead.He says the funds will help complete a three-phrase repair project which included replacing drainage, ties, and resurfacing. He says without the money, the repairs would have taken much longer to complete. In all, 48 different railway companies across the state received money.