We've Heard This Before

The House of Representatives has approved a multibillion dollar plan to bring high speed rail to the Northeast Corridor between Washington, DC and New York City.

The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, which passed the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 311 to 104 with the backing of New York City's delegation, calls for $14.4 billion in rail investment in the next five years. Some of those funds could go toward the development of the high-speed passenger train, as well as other local projects, such as a renovated Pennsylvania Station to be named after Senator Moynihan.

The bill includes provisions that would allow the private sector to make proposals to develop, construct, and finance the high-speed rail service. It also leaves open the possibility of Amtrak bidding for, or becoming a partner in, the service.

"This should start a whole new era for rail transportation in the country, and New York is probably the biggest beneficiary of what we did," the top Republican on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. John Mica, who proposed the high-speed rail service and co-sponsored the bill, said in an interview.

This isn't the first time that the proposal has been made, nor is it the first time that billions have been flung at the concept.

Amtrak already attempted to bring high speed rail to the Northeast Corridor. What we got was the Acela rail system, which never lived up to its hype because Amtrak screwed up the process royally.

Not only did the train sets suffer from mechanical problems that resulted in lengthy teething problems, but the trains could never achieve the top speeds envisioned by planners because the trains were designed incorrectly. They were too wide and could not tilt without hitting traffic on adjacent rails. The overhead wire systems can't handle higher speeds either, leaving the trains to crawl along only a few miles faster than the Metroliner service it was meant to supplant.

Now, we're supposed to believe that this time Amtrak will get it right? They're already in the process of replacing defective concrete ties along 26 miles of New Jersey right of way because they suffered from cracks and premature failures, and that's effectively reducing rail traffic through that stretch by 25%. It also means that any delays on the Northeast Corridor get magnified and exacerbated further.

To get a true high speed rail link on the Northeast Corridor, one has to first deal with the ancient infrastructure and build anew - one without grade crossings, drawbridges, and overhead lines that can handle the high speed. Since Amtrak owns the existing right of way, they're going to have a say in the process no matter who gets involved.