Approval for central section of Southeast Corridor

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Plans to extend high-speed rail services from Washington into the Southeastern states has been backed by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

The DOT, State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia have all signed off the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a 260-kilometre section of the Southeast Corridor between Richmond and Raleigh.

Subject to funding, construction of the railway – the majority of which will use existing or former lines – can now begin.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said: “Without a strong passenger rail system, the Southeast’s growth will be choked by congestion for a very long time.

“North Carolina, Virginia and the Department of Transportation have worked together to bring us closer to high-speed rail connecting Richmond and Raleigh, and I urge everyone involved to continue pushing this effort forward. High-speed rail in this region is not a luxury but a necessity.”

 

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. High Speed in American terms, of course, which means it’ll actually run at faster than 100mph in some places. Still, any rail route in the US that runs faster than an average of about 50mph is a good thing.

  2. These are excellent plans! The high speed line is sorely needed! Now I suppose we can wait for fools to come from behind every rock and file inane and idiotic lawsuits against the project. Most of them will have vested interests in selling more automobiles and gasoline. Wouldn’t it be nice to have positive editorials, an excited public, and “no opposition” to even one new rail project?!

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