U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced $179 million for the State of California to continue building a statewide, passenger rail network with both high speed and intercity services.
Funding will kick-start several major projects throughout the state including the ‘construction of new tracks, the purchase of next generation trains and the installation of high-tech signalling systems’.
“California voters and train passengers have said it loud and clear, they want access to a world-class rail system in California.” said Secretary LaHood.
“These projects ensure passenger rail is built to support a thriving California economy in the 21st century, while creating thousands of new construction and manufacturing jobs today.”
Through federal investments and voter-approved state investments, California is laying the groundwork for the nation’s first 220 mph high-speed rail system that will deliver sub-two hour trip times to Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
The rail dollars will also be used to improve existing intercity service throughout the state, including the acquisition of new trains.
“With 20 million more people expected to be in California within the next 40 years, we can’t build enough highways and airport runways to accommodate the demand,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.
“Passenger rail will play a much greater role in how Californians move throughout the state to ensure California’s economy keeps moving forward.”
Californians are already seeking ‘convenient alternatives to high gas prices and congested highways, as the state currently boasts some of the busiest rail corridors in the nation’.
The Pacific Surfliner has the 2nd highest ridership figures in the nation, and the Capitol Corridor had more than 1.5 million riders in 2010.
Highlights of the announcement include:
- The California High-Speed Rail Authority will receive $86.4 million for the Central Valley project, extending the current 110 mile segment an additional 20 miles to Merced and Bakersfield, advancing completion of the backbone of the Los Angeles to San Francisco corridor.
- Caltrans will receive $68 million for new trains servicing intercity routes. The funding is part of a multi-state procurement between California, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Washington State to pool resources, maximizing the purchase of next-generation American-made trains. Along with $100 million from a previously awarded grant to California, the money will allow for the purchase six new locomotives and forty new passenger cars.
- Signalling/Safety – Positive train control (PTC) will be installed between San Onofre and San Diego. This signalling system will increase railroad safety and efficiency by monitoring and controlling train movements. Over $24.9 million was awarded to Caltrans to install the system.
California
Treasurer Bill Lockyer, the California politician responsible for selling these
CAHSR bonds, said on March 14, 2011 to an LA news reporter that no one is
interested in buying CA HSR bonds because the CAHSR is more interested in
issuing bad PR, rather than coming up with a sound business plan. Until there
is a sound business plan, or even a half-baked one, then no one will invest in
this stinker of a project. Interviewer asks: “so are investors saying we’re
interested, but it doesn’t look like you guys [CAHSR Authority] know what
you’re doing” & Lockyer responds: “that’s what they’re saying”;
Interviewer: “what do you think?” & Lockyer responds: “well, I think the
same thing.” Lockyer also says “we don’t have a [business] plan that makes
sense” and “I don’t think the State of California can sell these bonds”, and
even though voters authorized the bonds, the bonds don’t need to be sold and
the project can be cancelled in 2011 or 2012. – see interview here:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/as-seen-on/NewsConference___California_Treasurer_Bill_Lockyer__Part_3_Los_Angeles-117841823.html
On June 15, 2011, the United
State House of Representatives Budget Committee awarded the coveted “Budget
Boondoggle of the Year Award” to California’s “Train to Nowhere” due to the
huge multi-billion dollar cost, inadequate ridership projections, insufficient
funding, requirements for operating subsidies, fiscal infeasibility, inability
to find any private investors or federal funding, the fact that no high speed rail lines in the world make a profit and
require ongoing operating subsidieis, that the Central Valley segment in
California will be non-operational with no trains, electrification for $6.9
billion. Way to go California taxpayers! Really, you can’t
make up this kind of crap. Sad but true. See Award here: http://budget.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Budget_Boondoggle_Award-traintonowhere.pdf