Railroad Forums
Moderator: lensovet
Funny, how I recall that during the mid 70's, Mr. Vranich was a mid-level employee within Amtrak's Public Affairs department. Mr. Cox's career has been with "think tanks" not exactly known for their seeing much need of passenger rail.What is your point?
David Benton wrote:why are we getting all the anti hsr op pieces ? . I'm sure there is just as many pro articles out there .Can we have someone we can take seriously , rather than the discredited Vranich ?That's a fair request. The problem, based on my observation, is that the articles are running con to pro about 9 to 1 right now. Everyone loves a bandwagon. And we all tend to post the articles that reflect our viewpoint as well.
That is an awesome point. I can venture several guesses as to why the cost is so high, but I'll venture that the biggest reason is it's in California. A competing reason could be because the feds are involved.Can't resist the favorite sport of bagging on California, eh? Fact is, building any rail infrastructure is more expensive in the U.S. as a whole than in Europe or Asia- corruption/cronyism in contracting and local government is a big reason. You may have a point about the Federal Govt. though. I would remedy that by first reforming the FRA.
Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The head of the authority charged with building high-speed rail in California plans to resign, adding another question mark to a project whose estimated cost more than doubled in November.http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-0 ... -says.html
Roelof van Ark, chief executive officer of the California High-Speed Rail Authority since June 2010, will step down in about two months, Rachel Wall, the authority’s spokeswoman, said by e-mail.
NEW YORK, Jan 12, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fitch believes that U.S. high speed rail (HSR) networks and other regional rail solutions are likely to proceed despite the difficulties faced by proposed projects in California and Florida. We expect, over time, options such as HSR to become a necessary part of the modern transportation network. However, financing and implementation measures should reflect the size and scope of such undertakings.
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Over the short term, the HSR project in California is likely to struggle under the weight of state cuts and a voting public that will continue to feel the effects of the economic downturn, as did Florida. We believe that good ideas are being proposed in many parts of the country, but they will face significant difficulties absent thoughtful long-term planning and recognition of the true life cycle costs of these projects.
"We're pushing forward," Brown said. "We're going to build, but we're not going to be stupid ... We're going to be very careful and build incrementally as we go."So he's not giving up. He promises something big in his State of the State address next week.
He said, "A lot of people want to turn off the lights. I'm not one of them. We're going to build, we're going to invest, and California is going to stay up among the great states and the great political jurisdictions of the world."
kaitoku wrote:No, that's not a blanket fact that applies to the US as a whole. Projects like the Portland Streetcar have been built with costs in a very reasonable range. There is no shortage of corruption and cronyism in government in Europe or Asia; perhaps due to centralization there is even more...and it may be that they have hidden their costs better due to such corruption.That is an awesome point. I can venture several guesses as to why the cost is so high, but I'll venture that the biggest reason is it's in California. A competing reason could be because the feds are involved.Can't resist the favorite sport of bagging on California, eh? Fact is, building any rail infrastructure is more expensive in the U.S. as a whole than in Europe or Asia— corruption/cronyism in contracting and local government is a big reason. You may have a point about the Federal Govt. though. I would remedy that by first reforming the FRA.
gprimr1 wrote:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-worst- ... 59548.htmlBefore the TGV came to Lille - rustbelt city in northern France - it was dying. No longer. the rail connection has revitalised it.
Fair Use Quote
"US Labor statistics ranks Merced, Fresno, Modesto and Stockton; 4 key cities on the proposed HSR system as the top 4 worst places to find employment. "
The proposed high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco is unlikely to meet that test. The estimates of costs recently doubled, to almost $100 billion, and it may ultimately cost much more. Research by the Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg shows that costs are underestimated for rail projects by about 45 percent on average, the most of all types of transport projects. High-speed rail could become California's Big Dig. Moreover, ridership — and thus revenue — is often overstated.More positive stuff about HSR; just not this corridor.
Research by the Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg shows that costs are underestimated for rail projects by about 45 percent on average, the most of all types of transport projects. High-speed rail could become California's Big Dig. Moreover, ridership — and thus revenue — is often overstated.HS1 (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) was built on time and on budget, as far as I know.
