High Speed Passenger Rail


Book Description

Federal and other decision makers have had a renewed interest in how high speed rail (HSR) might fit into the national transport. system and address increasing mobility constraints on highways and at airports due to congestion. This report reviews: (1) the factors affecting the economic viability-- meaning whether total social benefits offset or justify total social costs -- of HSR projects, incl. difficulties in determining the economic viability of proposed projects; (2) the challenges in developing and financing HSR systems; and (3) the federal role in the potential development of U.S. HSR systems. The auditor interviewed fed., state, local, and private sector officials; and reviewed HSR development in France, Japan, and Spain. Charts and tables.
















Vision for High-Speed Rail in the Northeast Corridor


Book Description

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Projected growth in the Northeast U.S. will substantially increase intercity travel demand. The improvements outlined in the recently-released Northeast Corridor (NEC) Infrastructure Master Plan would bring the current system to a state-of-good repair, ensure reliable service for all users, including intercity, commuter and freight, and provide sufficient capacity to meet estimated ridership demand through 2030. This report presents a possible concept for Next-Gen High-Speed Rail in the NEC, with new dedicated high-speed rail alignments, stations and equipment that can provide significant travel time savings and attractive premium service by rapidly connecting the Northeast¿s major hub cities along with its smaller cities, airports and suburban hubs.




Reinventing the Urban Interstate


Book Description

TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 145: Reinventing the Urban Interstate: A New Paradigm for Multimodal Corridors presents strategies for planning, designing, building, and operating multimodal corridors?freeways and high-capacity transit lines running parallel in the same travel corridors.