A U.S. Passenger Rail Update

The Washington Post recaps new developments in high speed rail, with a medium speed passenger rail expansion from Miami, Florida to Orlando (which was previously a slower stub line only near Miami) opening this month. Eventually, it is slated to extend to Tampa.  As the story explains:

After operating much like a commuter service through South Florida, the Orlando station will be the nation’s first non-Amtrak passenger train connection between two metro areas in four decades — a project with nearly $6 billion in private investment. Although not a true high-speed operation, the Brightline Florida service will surpass speeds of 125 mph in some areas — the nation’s fastest train outside the D.C.-Boston region.

Five years after Brightline opened its 67-mile service between Miami and West Palm Beach, passengers fill the five-car trains for sporting events and festivals while commuters use it to get to jobs. Students receive discounted passes for educational excursions.

A Las Vegas to Los Angeles line is far behind scheduled but still moving forward:

a $12 billion high-speed railway from Las Vegas to Southern California, a massive undertaking that could put trains traveling at 186 mph on America’s tracks by 2028. . . .

The 218-mile Las Vegas-to-suburban-Los Angeles route, dubbed Brightline West, has land, federal reviews and labor agreements in place, and company leaders say it could be built in four years. Its prospects are good, industry leaders and transportation officials say, amid renewed attention to rail in Washington and historic levels of federal funding for a national rail network that has lagged on the global stage.

Brightline West, expected to be funded primarily through private investment, like the Florida project, is also aiming for a multibillion-dollar federal grant. . . .

The United States will have its first high-speed rail system just before it hosts its next Olympic Games — the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Brightline West’s target date coincides with start of the games.

A proposed high speed rail line in Texas meanwhile, is high centered at the moment as are other proposals:

Among other projects at various stages, California is building a 500-mile system to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco that has been marred by delays and cost overruns. Its price tag, at $128 billion, is nearly quadruple the $33 billion project voters approved in 2008. A 119-mile section is under construction and projections call for a 171-mile segment connecting Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield to open between 2030 and 2033.

In Texas, a plan for a train connecting Dallas and Houston in less than 90 minutes has been slow to progress amid challenges in an environmental review, opposition from landowners and, more recently, a leadership exodus at the company developing the line. 

In the Pacific Northwest, a project is in the early phases of planning to connect Portland, Ore., Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.

While most of the $66 billion the infrastructure law allocated for rail will go toward upgrading existing track and replacing century-old tunnels and bridges along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, $12 billion is set aside for improving passenger services outside that region, including for high-speed rail.

Brightline West recently received a $25 million grant from the infrastructure law, while the California high-speed project has a $20 million grant for its Fresno station as it seeks $8 billion more. Other projects have requested federal funding.

There area also a smattering of proposals to expand or improve existing Amtrak slow speed passenger rail service shown on the map above.