{"id":121165,"date":"2024-01-17T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T15:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=121165"},"modified":"2024-01-18T11:11:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T15:11:00","slug":"us-rail-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/us-rail-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The US Rail System Wants to Upgrade to High-Speed Trains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What\u2019s the history of the US rail system? Why has the US long failed to prioritize high-speed rail construction? Will there ever be a high-speed train in the US?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The US Department of Transportation\u2019s recent commitment of $6 billion to high-speed rail, fueled by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, could ignite further development in domestic rail service. Despite the government\u2019s renewed focus on high-speed rail, serious challenges remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s an overview of the conversation about the US rail system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-the-us-catch-up\">Can the US Catch Up?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In December, the US Department of Transportation announced an infusion of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/12\/08\/1218212902\/high-speed-rail-projects-federal-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than $6 billion<\/a> for high-speed rail projects in the US rail system. But will it be enough to bring American high-speed rail into the 21st century and on par with other industrialized nations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-background\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>High-speed rail (HSR) generally refers to passenger trains that sustain speeds of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/tech\/tech-news\/feds-grant-6-billion-high-speed-rail-projects-rcna128508\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">125 to 220 mph<\/a>. Currently, the US\u2019s fastest train, the Acela, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/transportation\/2023\/08\/30\/us-high-speed-rail-projects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">maxes out at 150 mph<\/a>, lagging behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/article\/high-speed-rail-us\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">China, Japan, and Europe<\/a> considerably. In China, high-speed trains can travel a distance equivalent to traveling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/2023\/12\/08\/high-speed-rail-environmentally-friendly-and-popular-worldwide-has-a-hard-time-in-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">from Chicago to New York in 4.5 hours<\/a>. The same stretch on Amtrak takes five times as long.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts argue that adopting a nationwide high-speed rail network offers significant benefits. In addition to providing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/article\/high-speed-rail-us\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alternative to congested highways and airways<\/a>, it could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reduce emissions<\/a> through decreased reliance on car and air travel.\u00a0<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0965856416306383\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Increase job growth<\/a>.<\/li><li>Promote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/article\/high-speed-rail-us\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">economic development<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8896696\/#:~:text=Zhang%20(2017)%20found%20that%20high,affected%20local%20regional%20economic%20development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">innovation in cities<\/a> connected by the rail system.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these benefits and the US&#8217;s rich passenger rail legacy, however, the country still trails in high-speed rail development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-funding-influx\"><strong>Funding Influx<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Transportation\u2019s (DOT) recent high-speed rail funding allocation, powered by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/technology\/infrastructure\/a45025005\/bullet-trains-in-usa-high-speed-rail-complications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$102 billion slated for rail projects<\/a> in President Biden&#8217;s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure law, is expected to expedite the completion of and stimulate further investment in several HSR projects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/12\/08\/1218212902\/high-speed-rail-projects-federal-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brightline West high-speed rail system<\/a>, earmarked for a $3 billion grant to link Las Vegas and southern California.\u00a0<\/li><li>California High-Speed Rail project, slated to receive $3.1 billion to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles. This initiative has suffered ongoing delays and budgetary escalations, with costs ballooning from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvu.com\/news\/californias-high-speed-rail-project-advances-though-cost-jumped-to-128b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$33 billion 15 years ago<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than $128 billion<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-harnessing-high-speed-rail-in-the-us\"><strong>Harnessing High-Speed Rail in the US<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While encouraged by the federal government\u2019s renewed focus on high-speed rail, experts say the US must still address a number of interconnected issues to make HSR a reality, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/2023\/12\/08\/high-speed-rail-environmentally-friendly-and-popular-worldwide-has-a-hard-time-in-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lack of political will<\/a>. The success of high-speed rail projects hinges primarily on consistent political backing.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inconsistent funding<\/a>. The lack of consistent, annual support from Congress and the White House hampers the domestic rail industry&#8217;s ability to meet domestic manufacturing requirements for HSR, stifling progress.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy America Act<\/a>. This law mandates the use of American-made parts for federally-funded rail projects. While the law supports the domestic industry, high costs associated with American-made parts and limited production capacity curb the progress of HSR projects.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Weak domestic rail industry<\/a>. The American rail industry has struggled to produce necessary high-speed rail parts in compliance with Buy America and without ongoing financial support from the federal government.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/2023\/12\/08\/high-speed-rail-environmentally-friendly-and-popular-worldwide-has-a-hard-time-in-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dedicated tracks<\/a>: Freight rail companies own the majority of tracks across the country. This forces passenger trains to fit around freight schedules and limits the potential for HSR services.<\/li><li>Infrastructure upgrades. Currently, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/why-high-speed-bullet-trains-wont-work-in-the-u-s-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">not a single US rail line can support train speeds of 200 mph<\/a>. Upgrading existing the Northeast Corridor infrastructure alone could cost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/technology\/infrastructure\/a45025005\/bullet-trains-in-usa-high-speed-rail-complications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$117 billion<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-looking-ahead\"><strong>Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts say the DOT\u2019s recent funding boost for high-speed rail is a critical step toward the US developing a globally competitive HSR system. But realizing this vision will require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/12\/08\/1218212902\/high-speed-rail-projects-federal-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continuous, long-term financial<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/2023\/12\/08\/high-speed-rail-environmentally-friendly-and-popular-worldwide-has-a-hard-time-in-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">political support<\/a>\u2014a challenge with a divided Congress.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s the history of the US rail system? Why has the US long failed to prioritize high-speed rail construction? Will there ever be a high-speed train in the US? The US Department of Transportation\u2019s recent commitment of $6 billion to high-speed rail, fueled by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, could ignite further development in domestic rail service. Despite the government\u2019s renewed focus on high-speed rail, serious challenges remain. Here&#8217;s an overview of the conversation about the US rail system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":121175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,275,24],"tags":[727],"class_list":["post-121165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economics","category-politics","category-society","tag-articles","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The US Rail System Wants to Upgrade to High-Speed Trains - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"High-speed trains in the US are becoming a possibility. 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