A third federal government agency has given a stamp of approval for a high-speed rail project between Las Vegas and Victorville, Calif.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Thursday November 17issued a record of decision for the DesertXpress Enterprises LLC passenger rail line in Clark County and San Bernardino County, Calif.

The decision authorizes the use of right of way to build the line on public land administered by the BLM.

The DesertXpress project received similar approvals from the Surface Transportation Board in October and from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration in July.

The BLM determined that about 821 acres of public land would be needed for the permanent right of way. An additional 95 acres would be needed for temporary construction use. The project also includes about 2,800 acres of private land.

DesertXpress plans to begin engineering and construction next year on the 185-mile double track that would run along Interstate 15.

The company plans to operate trains traveling at 150 mph, with ticket costs averaging $50 per passenger one way.

The company is pursuing a $4.9 billion federal loan to build the $6.5 billion project.

Source: Vegas Inc., by Richard Velotta – http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/nov/18/desertxpress-project-takes-another-step-forward/

House Speaker Boehner, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman John Mica, and other House Republican leaders held a press conference this morning to announce that an “American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act”, to be introduced with bill number H.R. 7, will be moved through the House by the end of 2011 and will include a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill combined with legislation expanding offshore oil and gas drilling, expanded oil shale production, and Arctic National Wildlife Reserve oil exploration.

However, no other details of any kind were given.

Boehner pitched the combined legislation as the GOP’s job creation package, saying that “there can be common ground in Washington when it comes to breaking down barriers to job growth.” A one-page press release from Boehner’s office outlined the same points made by Mica four months ago when he outlined his reauthorization bill — no earmarks, speeding up the project delivery process by consolidating the permitting processes, eliminating needless programs, leveraging private sector dollars, and a ban on earmarks.

More details and Speaker Boehner’s press release can be found here.

At 11:15 this morning, House Speaker John Boehner, House Transportation Chair John Mica, Natural Resources Chair Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) will take the podium to unveil their transportation and energy bill. It’s likely to take the basic outline of the bill Mica announced in the summer, add enough money (about $15 billion a year) to maintain current spending levels and give some sense of how they’ll pay for that extra $15 billion.

According to Transportation Nation’s Todd Zwillich, the leaders will introduce a five-year bill – not a six-year bill, which Mica had supported, but still much longer than the two-year life span of the Senate bill.

For the DC StreetsBlog article, please click here.

On Thursday the House is expected to vote on H.R. 2112, the FY 12 Appropriations “Mini Bus,” which includes the THUD Appropriations bill. The American High Speed Rail Alliance is disappointed the legislation did not include any funding specifically for the HSIPR program. However, now more than ever, we must continue to fight for the program both in the short- and long-term.

In the short-term, AHSRA encourages you to contact the majority members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on THUD to strongly voice your disappointment about the zeroing out of HSIPR funding.

In the long-term, we must continue to promote the benefits of HSIPR. As of October 31, 2011 approximately $8 billion has been obligated to states and Amtrak. We will see soon these projects create jobs and make a real impact on thousands of communities across the country. We need to highlight these successes and the overall benefits as we continue to make the long-term case for the creation of a HSIPR network.

AHSRA is pleased the legislation includes $1.418 billion for Amtrak, which is only slightly below the FY 11 funding level. Most importantly, H.R. 2112 does not include the language included in the Republican’s House draft bill which would have eliminated service on 26 short-distance routes, affecting 15 States and more than 9 million passengers.

On October 26, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved construction of a 190-mile high speed rail line between Las Vegas and southern California. The project is being proposed by DesertXpress Enterprises L.L.C., a group of California and Nevada companies.

The group would build a high speed rail line on a corridor between Victorville, Calif., and Las Vegas, operating along Interstate 15. Trains would reach speeds up to 150 mph along the corridor, which would not include any vehicular or pedestrian crossings. No stops would be made between the two cities.

The construction of a new rail line requires prior STB approval. The STB granted the DesertXpress approval on the condition that the group would implement 146 environmental mitigation measures recommended in an Environmental Impact Statement that was approved by the Federal Railroad Administration earlier this year.

To read the Progressive Railroading article, please click here.

To view the STB record of decision please click here.

AHSRA applauds CHSRA for putting out realistic project plan that remains within an acceptable range of costs, despite recent increases

On November 1, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) released its new business plan for the proposed California state-wide high speed rail system. For years high speed enthusiasts have looked towards California as well as the Northeastern Corridor as two prime locations for high speed rail systems. California specifically, due to its potential in intercity travel and its growing need for alternative transportation methods in recognition of its ever-increasing population size. The need has always been clear but until now, a plan that has accounted for a project of such scope has not been fully realized.

Changes in the business plan from previous versions involve a heightened focus on the details of contingencies, schedules, and funding plans to plot out the most realistic approach this country has seen in implementing true high speed rail. CHSRA has taken considerable steps to bring specific numbers on the scope, cost, potential ridership, and potential returns to citizens, government officials, and private investors that will help transition the plan into action. Additionally, the plan focuses on individual rail segments that have been developed in cooperation with regional and local transportation partners. This collaboration allows for phased implementation of the rail systems in consideration to current needs, budget constraints, etc. For example, Phase 1, in which construction will begin next year, involves an influx of jobs in Central Valley, an area that has been hard hit by unemployment. This increment of the system, along with two others planned in Phase 1, has been projected to draw net operating profits confirming additional advantages to the phased system approach.

It’s proven that California is in desperate need of transportation investments that look towards its growing future. The real question is what method to use and how to find the most cost effective way. The plan details that providing equivalent new capacity to using more roads and airways would cost nearly twice as much as the proposed Phase 1 high speed rail system and would not solve community and environmental concerns. The plan also outlines high and low estimates in all of its research such as potential ridership growth, population growth, revenue projections, inflation, etc. This helps deter fears that the high speed rail is pushing conservative estimates when, in actuality, the costs may be much higher. In fact, CHSRA has acknowledged that total capital costs will more than double initial estimates to total about $98 billion. Keep in mind that the road and airways equivalent would nearly double that estimate.

With the government in a heated debate on what to do with our decaying transportation system, California’s plan helps show clear and succinct evidence of the benefits in high speed rail in California. By dividing the program into a series of parts which can provide high speed rail service standing alone or connected throughout the state, the plan produces a realistic approach that will help bring timely implementation to a dire situation while being cost-effective. By combining ideas and results from other high speed rail networks around the world, California proved that high speed rail in the U.S. can be successful.

Click here to access the full draft 2012 business plan.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $48.3 million for North Carolina and Virginia to advance the development of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, which will link Raleigh, NC, to Washington, DC via Richmond, Va. These grants will ultimately spur high-speed and intercity passenger rail development as far south as Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga., and to the Tidewater Region of Hampton Roads and Norfolk, Va.

“Thanks to the investments we are making today, Americans across the Southeast will have convenient access to faster, more efficient passenger rail connecting to destinations all along the Northeast Corridor,” said Secretary LaHood. “Passenger rail will also help alleviate traffic along congested sections of I-95, foster economic development and provide Americans with a greener, cleaner, more sustainable way to travel.”

The federal investment announced today will fund a number of high-speed rail projects in North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC:

• North Carolina – $4 million for environmental and design work for the construction of a new connection between Raleigh and Richmond, that could reduce travel time to just two hours between the two cities, a reduction of one hour and 30 minutes from the current schedule. The North Carolina Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, will contribute $3.9 million toward this project.

• Virginia – $44.3 million for environmental analysis and preliminary engineering to prepare for the construction of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor between Washington and Richmond. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will contribute $11.1 million toward this project.

“The population growth we have seen over the last decade in the Southeast is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what we will see by the middle of the century,” said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “The cooperation between these states and DOT has shown a strong will to connect the region by high-speed rail and ensure the region’s economy keeps moving and growing.

Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and annual appropriations have provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing new and expanded rail access to communities and improving the reliability, speed, and frequency of existing service. Of that, more than $7.6 billion has been obligated to date.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $149.3 million for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to upgrade high-speed and intercity passenger rail service on the Empire Corridor. The improvements will increase capacity and reliability, while reducing delays and travel time on several Amtrak routes, including the Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Adirondack, and Ethan Allen Express.

 “These unprecedented investments, using American made materials, will improve passenger travel while creating good-paying jobs,” said Secretary LaHood. “President Obama’s bold vision for passenger rail will change transportation in New York and the United States, helping relieve congestion on our roadways and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.” 

A first grant, for $91.2 million, will allow NYSDOT to add a 17-mile second mainline track between the Albany-Rensselaer and Schenectady stations. The existing single track causes significant delays, requiring trains to wait up to 26 minutes for the rail line to clear when another train is traveling in the opposing direction. Construction is expected to begin in late summer 2012.

 A second grant, for $58.1 million, will fund track and platform improvements at the Albany- Rensselaer and Schenectady stations, as well as the relocation of signal wires on the Hudson Line, which have been prone to outages. These improvements will result in greater reliability and on-time performance, more flexibility in train schedules and reduced congestion between freight and passenger trains. The Schenectady Station improvements are part of a downtown revitalization program. Improvements to both stations are expected to begin in late summer 2012.

 “Through the cooperation and diligence of NYSDOT and Amtrak, working with CSX, rail partners are coming together to deliver improved service,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “Passengers will see a reduction in delays and better reliability as a result of this additional rail capacity in Central New York.” 

Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy- efficient travel options. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and annual appropriations have provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing new and expanded rail access to communities and improving the reliability, speed, and frequency of existing service.

Yesterday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that individuals with disabilities will have greater access to intercity, commuter and high speed train travel as a result of a new rule requiring new station platform construction or significant renovation to enable those with disabilities to get on and off any car on a train.

“This will help give passengers with disabilities better access to rail travel across the country,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “By putting this protection in place, passengers with disabilities will be able to get on and off any accessible car that is available to passengers at a new or altered station platform.”

USDOT has amended its Americans with Disabilities Act regulations to require operators that are building new or renovating existing stations to provide level-entry boarding at station platforms so passengers with disabilities can get on and off any car on a train.

At new or altered stations where track is shared with existing freight-rail operations, preventing rule compliance, passenger railroads will be able to choose from a variety of options — such as car-borne lifts, station-based lifts and mini-high platforms — to help passengers with disabilities board trains.

For the full USDOT press release, please click here.
The Final Rule is available here.