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US rail $ will speed trains to Phila, Hbg, after Fla. says no

Florida turned down $2 billion in US rail improvements; the money will help speed Philadelphia and Harrisburg trains instead

    by Joseph N. DiStefano
    Published 

"The U.S. government awarded $795 million to increase rail speeds between Boston and Washington," as the feds re-allocated "$2 billion in high-speed rail grants that Florida rejected in February," says Bloomberg here.

Transportation Department release here. Highlights:

- "$450 million to boost capacity, reliability, and speed in one of the most heavily-traveled sections of the Northeast Corridor, creating a 24-mile segment of track capable of supporting train speeds up to 160-mph" between NYC and Philadelphia in 3-5 years.

- "$22 million for engineering and environmental work to replace the century-old Susquehanna River Bridge" that links Philadelphia to Washington and Baltimore.

- "$40 million to rebuild an interlocking near Harrisburg on the Keystone Corridor, saving travelers time and improving passenger train schedule reliability."

The NYC-Philly improvements would cut the fastest NY-Philly train trip to under an hour, increasing Center City's attraction as a cheap home base to people who work in New York, or go there frequently, but prefer Philadelphia's lower rents and housing values.

Amtrak lost $1.3 billion last year, but that's due mostly to unprofitable Western trains: "The Acela Express line that runs between Boston and Washington had revenue that exceeded operating expenses by 42 percent."

Besides the Northeastern grants, Midwestern states got $404 million to link Chicago and Detroit more quickly, and California got $300 million to move trains faster from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Plus over $300 million for US-built locomotives and cars for the Midwestern and California routes.

The Northeast, Midwest and California benefited, in part, because Republican governors in other states don't like trains.

GOP Gov. Rick Scott gave back $2.4 billion last year that Florida had been awarded to set up high-speed trains between Orlando and Tampa; Scott feared the state would face higher future costs. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gave back another $810 million - then asked the US railroad bureaucracy for $150 million, which was turned down.