U.S. DOT Clocks High-Speed Rail at 110 MPH, Give or Take
The federal DOT has just released its guidance for states seeking a share of its $8 billion in high-speed rail funding -- and tucked in the rules are standards that could prove crucial to the project's success.
Ray LaHood geeks out on French high-speed rail. Photo via The Overhead WireToday's DOT guidance uses the same standard that was outlined in last year's Amtrak reauthorization bill: high-speed trains are those "reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 mph."
That standard appears flexible enough to include most regional rail plans. California's high-speed authority believes the state's service can reach a top speed of 220 mph. The states working on a midwestern rail network with Chicago at the center, however, envision their trains achieving an average of 67 mph for local service and 78 mph for express rides.
In addition to speed, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will initially evaluate high-speed rail proposals using six criteria, with each one assuming a different priority level depending on the pot of money that's being spent.
Here's where things get a bit complicated, because high-speed rail aid has been split into four tracks.
The first two use stimulus money for projects and programs, and the second two use money from the annual congressional appropriations process for planning and project execution. In fact, DOT's guidance says the first two tracks of money -- the $8 billion popularly referred to as high-speed rail stimulus money -- may not be paid out in full this year, "to allow for potential future rounds of solicitations and awards which occur after 2009."
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