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While Amtrak and BART are well known rail transportation systems in San Francisco, a faster option is coming. The California High Speed Rail authority has unveiled plans for a $43 billion high speed train above ground rail line for cities in south of San Francisco.
South San Francisco, San Bruno, Redwood City, San Jose, and Belmont would be the cities receiving these high speed rail lines. While some in the area oppose the walls that would be built for the rail lines, plans for a high speed rail train in California are moving forward.
In January of this year, California and Governor Schwarzenegger received $2.3 billion from President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the intercity rail project. In the initial phase of the project, a high speed rail line is being planned from Anaheim to San Francisco. By the time the project is completed, a complete high speed rail line will stretch from San Diego to Sacramento.
California is the only state with plans for a high speed rail train in the country. While high speed rail trains are defined as trains that exceed 200 mph, California's proposed rail will reach speeds up to 220 mph. So while the details of this plan are now being unveiled, California still has a long way to go before high speed rail trains take off in the state.
Construction is set to begin in 2012 with the first train being planned for 2020. While this is just the start, California formally applied for an additional $1.582 billion in federal funding today on Friday.
For anyone who has traveled in Europe, you know what a high speed rail system could do for transportation in California. With airline profits up and the future of airfares unknown, a high speed train system would be welcome competition in this country. Whether you travel to Los Angeles from San Francisco or anywhere in between San Diego and Sacramento, this is definitely one train we will be keeping an eye on.
For more information on the California high speed rail, check out www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
President Obama unveils plans for a high speed train
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Comments
This is good news. Done right, high-speed rail could help to reduce pollution and our dependence on foreign oil by getting more cars off the road.
Agreed, Dennis. The key though is "high speed". We have Amtrak now but it is so slow very few people want to take it. It's about time the US embraced the European rail system and implemented it here. What a great way to travel!
That is very cool!We need more quality public transit in this country.
Not so fast, Jeremy. Evidently you have not read about all the political difficulties and local opposition to high-speed rail.
WOW, you wouldn't know from this suck up PR piece how much trouble the incompentently mismanaged CHSRA is in? Incompetent and possibly falsefied patronage modeling, a totally discredited business plan, and no credible cost benefit used in the planning, a project with no credibility in the legislature. Folks like the idea, but the dysfunctional and incompetent CHSRA has failed at every step with actual implementation. Reform is needed and needed now, to stop this much needed program from being a complete boondoggle for the benefit of its contractors.
Isn't it funny how so many people who have homes next to or near the Caltrain ROW all of a sudden are experts in HSR planning and push anything that discredit's the HSRA Business Plan? It's clear as daylight what your motives for pushing this info is. You then are ignored for it and will continue to be, no matter how much you fools clap at CHSRA Meetings.
Thanks for the comments from Bob and and Ben on this. This article in no way endorses the rail itself or the CHSRAbut just reports information that is coming out. Personally speaking, I do believe that a high speed rail would be good for the state and the country. However, I can't speak for the politics and cost benefit analysis of the plan as I have not studied that.
I am not sure whom is nobody. oh sure, people complaints here are about high-speed. sure. it is okay for the stupid crowed.airplane being force and cram to damn strangers. with no snacks. not even stale peanuts. .
Oh wait, how about those that hates to fly? oh that is different. that ATTITUDE IS TOUGH AND DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ANTI PLANES LOVERS!
And living next to the Railway Tracks. which was their first.
Train loves. reversed DISCRIMINATION!
Airplane lovers can't stand being Discriminated against. but. it makes it right for them to DISCRIMINATE AGAINST TRAIN LOVERS.
Oh wait what about those that lives next to the STUPID AIRPORTS. PLANES COMING AND GOING, POLLUTING THE AIR. I KNOW THE ATTITUDE IS TOUGH., AGAIN DISCRIMINATION.
OK -- but when is alleged federal support for "leading edge / bleeding edge super trains" actually a cover for federal covert antipathy and opposition to rail passenger service development, generally? When it includes no recognition that upgraded conventional rail passenger services are what feed and make "High Speed Service" work!
Oklahoma's state DOT, for instance, just unnecessarily destroyed the last, grand capital-city Union Station rail yard left unused in the West with all its original train-handling space intact -- for the relocation of four miles of Interstate 40 in OKC -- funded mostly by federal dollars. And now, OKC-area government is spending MORE tax money to "study a new rail hub."
Meanwhile, Oklahoma Interstates are nearly impassable thanks to a frenzied orgy of Obama stimulus-funded construction leaving no doubt that such roads actually exist to keep contractors in business -- not for the safe mobility of the public.
This is not the work of determined reformers!
"Agreed, Dennis. The key though is "high speed". We have Amtrak now but it is so slow very few people want to take it. It's about time the US embraced the European rail system and implemented it here. What a great way to travel!" -Jeremy B.
I am not a big fan of Amtrak, though I do love traveling by train. But we must get the facts right. Amtrak is packed beyond capacity. It is currently oredering new cars and locomotives and railsets because of the extreme spike in passenger numbers over the last nine years. But to be honestm I am very glad that the CHSR system, once completed, will be given to a private operator,
I can't say if Amtrak is packed beyond capacity here in California. I do know it is expensive, costs more than driving, and often takes more time. A train from Sacramento to LA on Amtrak can take up to 12 hours. It works for some people but you can't say it's a great option everywhere you go. Maybe it does work better on the east coast but here in California, a high speed train would work much better.
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