“I just returned from a trip to Europe, and really enjoyed riding the high-speed Eurostar and TGV. Why can’t we have something like that here in the U.S.?” So asked a reader, and the fundamental answer is simple: The United States, as a nation, does not and will not enjoy a robust passenger rail system because, as a nation, it doesn’t have the will to develop and operate one.
Other places do have the will. Between 2003 and 2013, China built more than 6,000 miles of new true high-speed rail lines. Japan and Spain now have almost 1,600 high-speed miles, with more being built or planned. In two years, Switzerland will open a 35-mile tunnel through the heart of the Alps, and the British are digging a new line across all of London. Other countries in Africa and Asia are building or adding to their systems.
Read the complete story at the Chicago Tribune.
Related News
- Natick Station Reopens in Massachusetts
- 1% Declares War On 2-PC & SMART-TD
- Heroic Act on the Rails: SMART-TD Brother Burned while Saving Crewmate
- NRLC Bargaining Chart
- Local Pride T-Shirt Contest Rules
- Where Do You Get Your News? Help SMART-TD Meet You There
- Senate Passes Tax Bill Without Including Railroaders
- Yardmaster Protection Act Introduced
- New College Education Benefit Available for SMART-TD Members and Their Families
- Arkansas & Missouri Begins a New Chapter with SMART-TD