Category Archives: railways

Lege TREND. Sate of the State Calls for Curbing High Speed Rail. 5 Bits informed intel.

Gavin Newsom’s first State of State called for curbing California’s high speed rail project because it:

  • extending the rail would cost too much and take too long
  • project’s persistent cost overruns, mismanagement and delays
  • a San Diego to San Francisco train doesn’t appear viable
  • little oversight
  • not enough transparency

Governing | Breaking From Predecessor, California Governor to Scale Back High-Speed Rail Project

+1 High Speed Rail Project in Texas. Existing Infrastructure. New Kid on the Block.

Virgin Trains USA looks to conenct Dallas, San Antonio  & Austin by high speed rail.

An SEC filing also lists a Dallas Houston high spped rail route.

From the SEC filing: “by using existing infrastructure, we believe we can plan, permit and build new rail service significantly faster and cheaper than alternative express passenger rail projects in these areas.”

KVUE | Virgin Trains USA targets Austin for high-speed rail 

New Report. 4 Recommendations for High Speed Rial in the Golden State.

The State Auditor made the following recommendations about high speed rail project:

  • establish formal prerequisites for beginning construction
  • Prioritize contract management
  • more clearly differentiate between the construction and operation phases of the high-speed rail system
  • review of its compliance with its existing quality controls related to ensuring the validity and completeness of contractor-reported data.

State Auditor of California | Caliofrnia High Speed Rail Auhtority

2 Free Market Reasons to Support Texas High Speed Rail

 

  • “rail is usually the most efficient way to move goods and people over distance”
  • Private investors and the market should determine if Texas High Speed Rail is a success
    • “Legislators, that’s not your role,”.. to detemrine if the business model makes sense

 

Trib Talk | Tom Giovanetti,  President, Institute for Policy Innovation | A free-market “yes” to Texas high-speed rail

Refreshing Recollection. 1989 Texas High-Speed Rail Authority. The legislation. The Powers.

  •  SB1190 (TX |1989 created the Texas High-Speed Rail Authority.
  • SB1190 (TX |1989 gave the THSRA these powers:
    • eminent domain
    • 11 member panel
    • charged to determine whether high-speed rail  was in the public interest
    • award a franchise to operate a high-speed rail service to the most qualified applicant
  • HB 2390 (TX | 1995) abolished the THSRA
  • A final report from Executive Director Marc H. Burns stresses the need for state involvement:

    • “The State should retain planning and oversight…

Economic Development Reasons why High Speed Rail will work without Mass Transit Connections.

According to William J. Swinton, Temple University International Business Studies in Tokyo, a high speed rail end point becomes an economic engine by:

  • Creating transportation business opportunity  for transportation companies like taxis and ride sahre
  • Creating real estate development opportunities  by encouraging hotels and businesses to build nearby.

When Tokyo’s Shinagawa train station was built there was little development, within 10 years, skyscrapers had risen & the Japanese company…

3 Reasons Citizens Against Government Waste Oppose High Speed Rail in Texas

 

  • California.  didn’t work/isn’t working in California which has large cost overruns and delays
  • Promises Break. The claim of no tax payer funds will be broken, it usually is
  • Ridership is a Myth. Projections on rideership aren’t realistic
    • based on this 2017 Reason Foundation study
  • Government Overreach via Eminent Domain 

 

 

Trib Talk | Tom Schatz | President, Citizens Against Government Waste | Hit the brakes on high speed rail in Texas