High-Speed Envy, No More

Though I have yet to have the opportunity to visit Europe or Asia and take advantage of their high-speed rail systems, I am aware of the ability to travel from London to Paris in two and a half hours, and Japan’s “bullet train” taking you from Tokyo to Osaka (some 380 miles) also in about two and a half hours. I have envied nations for creating such a vast network of reliable and fast public transportation.

We as a nation have been waiting for way too long for our government to implement such a plan in the United States that would allow a linkage of metropolitan areas across the country. Our wait may soon be over.

Just last week, the Obama administration made their plans public for national high-speed rail systems, which will spider the East and West Coasts, the South and the Mid-West. In his public address, President Obama mentioned that we need to build a new foundation to our future growth. “We need a smart transportation system equal to the 21st Century”, he stated. The plan calls for $8 billion in rail systems ranging between 100 and 600 miles long connecting metropolitan cities with rural towns, while supplying the rural areas with accessibility to better economic ties with the metro areas. The high-speed rail system will allow for an expansion of economic growth as many areas are connected and made easily reachable.

Imagine being able to board a high-speed train in San Francisco and arrive in Los Angeles in only two and a half hours. The state of California has their own plans to create a high-speed rail system connecting cities throughout the state with the planned system reaching 220 mph. According to the State’s High-Speed Rail Authority website, it will cost less than half as much as building more freeways and runways, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

A high-speed rail system branching across the national will decrease congestion, reduce harmful emissions, and create less havoc on our freeways and interstates. The plan will also improve current rail lines, allowing for higher speeds. Amtrak’s Acela Express is currently capable of speed of 150 mph but the existing rail system limits its speed to just over half that.

Other countries have tried and succeeded with their high-speed rail plans and some nations, such as Japan are now in the process of improving their high-speed rail systems. We need to implement this plan to reduce traffic and congested airports, all while reducing carbon and fuel usage. It’s a win-win situation.

So, I say thank you Mr. President and the administration that developed the plan so that we can all enjoy the convenience of a high-speed rail system without having to first take a 12-hour fight to another country to experience it. I envy Europe & Asia’s rail system, no more. Our time has come.