Lately there has been a great deal of hysteria about the possible 98 billion dollar price tag for California High Speed Rail adjusted for inflation for an 800 mile system. Below the radar  are plans by Amtrak to build a new 200 mph plus High Speed Rail line on the 457 miles between Boston and…

 I have it on good authority that Boardman, in discussions with his top aides, defines Amtrak’s priorities toward train service as Northeast Corridor first, state-supported short-distance trains second, and long-distance trains a distant third. Were I in his shoes, I’d do the same thing. There was also a defining moment in a Senate hearing this…

What will the future hold for Palmdale? Metrolink is studying running trains at speeds over 100 miles per hours to Palmdale. The Las Vegas High Speed Train to Victorville is closer to starting construction next year: a connection to Palmdale make sense for that service. It looks more likely that future Higher Speed Rail service…

This business plan has a sticker shock of 98 billion dollars for the full  800 mile project but much of this reflects adjustments for inflation with a longer construction window adding to the inflation. In 2010 dollars the final bill is between 65.4 to 75 billion.The reality is infrastructure is expensive. San Diego County has…

In the article California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Roelof van Ark “said private investors, including rail operators and construction companies from Europe and Asia, have voiced interest in high-speed rail. The catch: Investors want to see a link to San Francisco or Los Angeles closer to completion before they put in billions, he said. It…

Planning for the San Joaquin Valley alignment has been ongoing for at least 5 years. If the people in the Valley and the High Speed Rail Authority can’t come to an agreement soon on where to build HSR, there are plenty of other places which are ready to take the money and run with it.…

The following material are highlights from the information package included in the Agenda for the Board Meeting for the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency held on September 28, 2011 in Los Angeles. This material is posted on the LOSSAN web site. Enewsletter EXTRA LOSSAN The above copy of this enewletter is on a PDF file and…

Could HSR derail Hanford Amtrak station? Hanford Sentinel – Eiji Yamashita Oct 4, 2011 Rail officials predict negligible impact from the switch, while many locals consider the existing Amtrak train system as a key component of Hanford’s … It seems the plan for HSR assumes the elimination of the San Joaquin Trains. This would leave…

The view from the driver seat of a Metrolink Sealed Corridor grade crossing. This is the Almond St. crossing in Orange. Notice the central medians which discourage vehicles from going around the gates.  There are quad gates: barriers blocking all corners of the intersection. There are also gates blocking the sidewalks to keep pedestrians from…

More rail service could spring from new agency SignOnSanDiego.com – Sep 23, 2011 The San Diego-LA-San Luis Obisbo rail corridor — known as LOSSAN to officials … no farther than Northern California for a role model: the Capitol Corridor … September 26, 2011 The above copy of this enewletter is on a PDF file and…