http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Betsy/Where%20We%20Live%2008-27-2012.mp3
You’ve probably seen the plans: Amtrak wants to build high-speed rail in the Northeast running trains from Boston to Washington at 220 mph to make the trip in 3 hours!
Amtrak is betting that rail can once again compete with cars and planes to get us where we want to go, faster, more efficiently, and with less gridlock.
But there are a few problems with the plan here in Connecticut.
First,"we don't have money today to run the railroad that we try to operate today."
That’s rail advocate Jim Cameron. He’s talking about the many problems with the existing rail lines in the state, including Amtrak and the popular Metro North Service.
The other problem? While 427 miles of new high speed track will forge a new inland route through Connecticut, the fastest trains won’t be stopping here.
Jim Cameron continues, "It's not as if anyone's going to give up land to build a super right-of-way for a 225 mph train that might not even going to stop in Connecticut."
So, is this high speed plan DOA in Connecticut? Is it a pie-in-the-sky fantasy we’ll never see built? Or is it an opportunity to reinvest in rail?
Get on board and join the conversation: Do you like the new plan for high speed rail?
