Latest Lincoln Institute HSR report

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 57063.html
High-speed rail could spur economic growth in major cities, protect the environment, and save energy - but requires a fresh approach that creates new, accountable rail management structures, brings in the private sector, and concentrates for now on California and the Northeast, according to a new report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
The report suggests a blend of federal planning and oversight in partnership with states, which are implementing high-speed and conventional passenger rail projects. In multi-state corridors like the Northeast, it recommends the creation of federally chartered infrastructure corporation that can finance infrastructure development with public private partnerships. Passenger rail operators, such as Amtrak and other competing carriers, would pay track access fees to run their trains on the lines.

To simplify, following the French HSR formula. Which according to this recent blog, is facing higher fares and a reduction in service as it expands...
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011 ... uestioned/
RFF has responded to this increase in debt by significantly increasing track fees, and it plans to do so by 40% between 2008 and 2012 — enough to wipe out SNCF’s margin of profitability on the TGV entirely (though the French government has said it would work to stabilize those charges after 2013). RFF will increase fees on the most popular TGV routes the most.
SNCF has responded by threatening to cancel routes with lower ridership (even though they are profitable if excluding the track fees devoted to construction) and it has said the loss of profitability will make it impossible for it to replace the original 1981 fleet of TGVs before 2020. Fares are increasing at 3.4% annually, twice the rate of inflation, and SNCF plans to charge users more on select routes even as it reduces customer service for others to a low-cost model over the next few years.

Alas, at least the Lincoln Institute now admits a national HSR network isn't feasible in its new report.

The Northeast and California are indeed the best places, but that doesn't make good national-scale politics. What works there is spreading the pork around, so that more politicians can brag about the bacon that they had brought home to their constituents.

That has two problems, however. diluting the effort and supporting difficult-to-justify projects.

So a compromise would be to look for additional sets of big cities separated by a few hundred miles. Fortunately, planners have already identified several possibilities, like the Southeast Corridor, Florida, the Chicago area, Ohio, Texas, and the Pacific Northwest. HSR lines there would connect some sizable fraction.

2009 total population: 307m

Northeast Corridor and branches: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA
States: 12 + DC, People: 70m

Chicago Hub / Greater Chicagoland: IL, MI, OH, IN, MO, IA, MN, WI
States: 8, People: 61m
With nearby states: KY, KS, NE
States: 11, People: 70m

California: CA
States: 1, People: 37m

Texas: TX
States: 1, People: 25m
With nearby states: OK, LA
States: 3, People: 33m

Southeast Corridor: NC, SC, GA
States: 3, People: 24m

Florida: FL
States: 1, People: 19m

Pacific Northwest: WA, OR
States: 2, People: 10m

Total: States: 33 + DC, People: 263m

So if there are any other routes that I'd recommend, it's Chicago - St. Louis, Richmond - Charlotte, and Seatle - Portland OR. They are well-supported by their states and they are geographically distributed.

An interesting study would be the effect of extending hsr services , with normal or slightly faster than normal (90 -110 mph ) services . The new Lynchburg service would be an e.g , south of Washington its slow , but someone travelling from , say New York , would look at total trip time , not segment times . so if NY - D.c was sped up , say 1/2 hour , the NY -Lynchburg service would be 1/2 hour shorter too .
the coast starlite route would be an interesting one too , with HSR on each end , would the slower middle section still see a good rise in ridership . i would say it almost certainly would .