high-speed rail

Virginia is courting federal dollars for high speed rail projects, and town hall meetings are being held around the state to allow residents to learn about the projects and provide input. While officials in Hampton Roads pondered the possibility of high-speed rail bringing significant economic activity to the area (perhaps as much as $1 billion by 2025), residents in Petersburg commented on practical matters surrounding the project (views from some properties will be changed).

Wherever they live, Virginia homeowners need to consider the possibilities of the high-speed rail initiatives that are in progress across the state. Participation in public forums is key if homeowners are to understand -- and influence -- the way that railways will impact their communities.

Read more in....

• The Virginian-Pilot
• The Progres-Index

Bringing high-speed rail to Virginia will take decades and cost an estimated $5.3 billion -- if the money can be found. Virginia currently has about $30 million a year earmarked for capital improvements to state rails.

Virginia officials applied for  $1.8 billion in federal stimulus money to develop the part of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor between Petersburg and the nation's capital. Just $75 million was approved.

Homeowners along Virginia's planned high-speed rail corridors stand to benefit from the development of the efficient transportation network. A relatively inexpensive and convenient commute between major cities would spur economic development, which would in turn stimulate the real estate market.

Read more in The Richmond Times-Dispatch:

• Funding is among the obstacles to high-speed rail in Richmond
• Va. seeks more federal funding for high-speed rail

Mayors of vairous towns in the Peninsula n South Hampton Roads recently met to discuss high-speed rail, according to the Daily Press.

The discussion revolved around the region having to join together behind one plan for the benefit of everyone.

In the past, the Peninsula and South Hampton Roads have battled for equal resources, but the plan with high-speed rail would not reach the Peninsula because the cost to service that area would not be worth the benefit.

Thankfully mayors of those localities were able to see the need of all towns to band together and support high-speed rail coming to Virginia in order to receive federal funding for the project.

High-speed rail could link these areas with Petersburg, Richmond and DC, which will bring greater opportunities for economic growth.

"The Peninsula's hopes for high-speed rail were dealt a severe blow at the end of October when the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization endorsed a route that follows the Route 460 corridor south of the James River from Richmond to Norfolk.

The organization's board, which is made up of local elected officials, voted unanimously for the southern route for high-speed rail. In return, the endorsed plan calls for enhancing the existing passenger rail line on the Peninsula to increase both the frequency and speed of the trains.

Board members took pains to avoid describing the agreement as a compromise, or concession.

Several Peninsula leaders were absent from the vote including Newport News Mayor Joe Frank, who was at a funeral, and Williamsburg Mayor Jeanne Zeidler, who had a conflicting City Council meeting, though they expressed support for the plan. Hampton Mayor Molly Joseph Ward voted for the resolution, despite some reservations about not discussing it with her City Council before voting.

The vote was a major step, as fights over transportation plans have frequently divided the Peninsula from South Hampton Roads.

The mayors said it was important to act now or the region would run the risk of being left out of the Obama administration's plans for a national high speed rail system.

In March, the state will have the opportunity to request a portion of nearly $8 billion allocated for building the rail lines in the stimulus bill Congress passed last February. The long-term goal is to create a rail system that will allow travelers to board an early morning train in Hampton Roads that will allow them to reach as far as Washington, D.C., without a transfer.

The plan endorsed by HRTPO calls for the route to flow from Richmond through Petersburg and along Route 460 to Norfolk. It calls for at least one additional train to be added to the Peninsula, where rail service is plagued by frequent delays. Currently, the Peninsula is the only source of passenger rail in Hampton Roads."

Read the full story.

Bringing enhanced passenger rail service to Virginia residents may cost less than previously expected, according to The Daily Press.

Improving transportation in Virginia is key to making the state more marketable to new businesses and residents, both of which are vital to improving the state's economy and improving property values.

"Norfolk Southern Corp.'s latest estimate for bringing passenger rail service to South Hampton Roads offers a welcome bit of cheer for regional leaders who have struggled to keep federal and state officials focused on the project.

Earlier this month, the railroad company said its freight line could be upgraded to handle passenger trains for just $75 million, well below earlier estimates from the state.

Numbers used by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation include passenger stations and other supplementary expenditures not in the railroad's figures. But Norfolk Southern's analysis proves that service to the Southside is both attainable and relatively cheap.

That doesn't mean it's a done deal. There are $102 billion in projects across the country competing for $8 billion in federal stimulus funds. If South Hampton Roads is going to get its share, leaders will have to make the case and be ready to listen to any reasonable suggestions on how to accomplish their goal."

Read the full story.

In effort to remove 70,000 trucks off Washington-area roads and improve traffic for commuters and residents, CSX wants to carry double-stacked cars through the DC area, according to the Washington Examiner.

The project would cost millions to raise roofts on bridges and lower some railroad tracks across the mid-Atlantic. As of now, Governors in Maryland and Virginia are for the project. This in addition to adding high-speed rail to the area could drastically transform transportation in Virginia in a way that would make the area more appealing to new businesses, stimulate the local economy and increase property values.

"A proposal to expand the amount of freight chugging through the District is gaining steam, offering a promise of clearing tractor-trailers off the region's congested highways and improving commuter train service.

It also would mean rebuilding some railroad bridges around the region, including the Virginia Avenue tunnel just south of the Capitol.

CSX is proposing an $842 million plan to raise roofs on bridges and lower some railroad tracks across the mid-Atlantic so that it could carry double-stacked cargo containers on its trains.

Locally, that would mean millions of dollars in construction work. The Washington region has some of the worst railroad bottlenecks along the East Coast, including the Virginia Avenue tunnel.

Raising the roof of that tunnel alone would cost an estimated $140 million. The 12 other local projects proposed, including replacing the bridge on Deer Park Drive in Montgomery County's historic Washington Grove, would add millions more.

The freight company would pay about $393 million of the National Gateway initiative, while state and federal dollars would pay the rest. The project is seeking stimulus dollars for some of the costs.

Governors in Maryland, Virginia and other states already have backed the plan. It also has won support from the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a key regional group of local officials and planners.

'We support the project even though it wouldn't benefit the District,' said District Department of Transportation spokesman John Lisle. 'We recognize there are regional and national benefits from it.'

The plan would add traffic, congestion and headaches during construction, but local officials are hoping it could mean fewer trucks on the roads, plus better commuter and passenger train service.

Officials estimate the proposal could shift 70,000 trucks off Washington-area roads as one train can carry the load of more than 280 trucks, according to CSX. The trains are also more fuel-efficient per pound, they say, getting some 436 miles to the gallon for each ton of cargo"

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