Modernization of Rail Transportation
Technology and Infrastructure in the
United States
Kyle Pozan • pozan.kyle@gmail.com
Overview
• A brief history of transportation in the United
States.
• A case for railroad regulation reform and the
implementation of high-speed rail.
– Current U.S. rail network.
– Future U.S. Rail Plans
• Potential Barriers to the Successful Development of a
High-Speed Rail Network
– Conventional high-speed rail.
– Maglev rail transportation.
History of Transportation in the United
States
• The railroad revolutionized transportation in
the United States.
• Land grants and
government subsidies
allowed for the rapid
expansion of rail transport
in the U.S.
• 2,000 miles of track were
laid by 1840; 30,000 miles
of track by the Civil War;
70,000 miles of track were
laid in the 1880s alone.
• By 1910, rail travel accounted for 95% of all intercity
transportation.
• In the 1920s, trains carried 1.2 billion passengers annually.
• However, by the early 1930s, automobile travel had begun
to make inroads in the rail passenger market.
• Today, freight trains dominate the U.S. rail system.
The Birth of the Automobile
• At the turn of the 20th century, the automobile
was poised to change the face of
transportation in the United States.
• By 1910, over 200 automobile manufacturers
were incorporated in the United States.
• Aided by the Interstate Highway System under
the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the
automobile lead to mobility on a scale
formerly unknown, playing a major role in
urban sprawl.
The Rise of the Airline Industry
• Like the Interstate Highway System, the airline
industry has shrunk the vast distance that
separates the Eastern and Western borders of
the United States.
• The The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 created
the Civil Aeronautics Board, an organization
authorized to oversee the airline industry.
• Airline transportation took off when Congress
deregulated the airline industry in 1978.
Current Methods of Transit and Their
Respective Issues
• Currently, the three principal methods of
transportation in the United States are
inextricably tied to petroleum.
The U.S. Rail Network
• Long-distance rail travel is not seen by many
as a viable form of transportation in the
United States.
• While there are over 75 airlines in the U.S.,
only one major passenger rail company,
Amtrak, is currently in operation.
– Amtrak is federally owned.
– Private investment in railroads is almost
nonexistent.
Amtrak
• The National Railroad Passenger Corporation,
d/b/a Amtrak, is a government-owned
intercity passenger rail service.
• Amtrak service includes over 500 destinations.
• Amtrak is considered to be one of the most
energy-efficient forms of transportation.
• There is ample room for improvement,
however.
• Criticisms of Amtrak
– Seen as a bailout for corporate rail interests and
union rail workers.
– Criticized it as a waste of precious government
funds.
– Not a viable form of mass transportation.
• The Acela has been a success, serving over 8,000
riders per day.
• The Acela, however, operates at an average speed of
70 mph and is subject to numerous federal
regulations that hamper its expansion.
– It’s route is limited to the Northeastern Corridor.
• Many criticism, however, are based on
comparisons with European and Asian rail
service.
– A majority of passenger trains in the U.S. have a
maximum operating speed of 79 mph., with the Acela
being a notable exception.
– U.S. trains are not as energy efficient as their
European and Asian counterparts.
High-Speed Rail Projects
• In January, President Obama announced an $8
billion award to states for the development of
13 new, large-scale high-speed rail corridors.1
– It is the largest investment in infrastructure since
the Interstate Highway System was created under
Eisenhower.
• The plan also includes $1 billion annual
allotment in the federal budget.
– Allocations to continue annually for 5 years.
1
White House Press Release (Jan. 28, 2010).
Proposed High-Speed Corridors
Not Up To European Standards
• The two largest projects will see maximum
speeds of 110 mph.2
– High-speed trains in Europe and Asia travel at an
average speed of 120 mph and can exceed 215 mph.
• Planning studies for additional service
enhancements are included in the budget.
• A majority of the budget will be spent on
improvements rather than new construction.3
– Station renovations.
– Bridge expansions.
– Overhaul of signal systems.
2
3
Id.
Id.
• Funds will not be spent on dedicated tracks
that would require a separate right of way.
– This would be required for true high-speed rail.
• Will likely be subject to stringent federal
regulations.
Japan Case Study
• Benefits of high-speed rail are obvious in Japan.
• By 1994, the high-speed line from Tokyo to Osaka
accounted for 80% of the travel between the two
cities.4
– By car, they journey is 7 hours.
– The same trip is only 3 hours via high-speed rail.
4 Hiroshi
Okada, Features and Economic and Social Effects of the Shinkansen. Japan Railway & Transport Review (1994).
• Time saved from switching from a conventional to highspeed rail network is approximated at 400 million
hours.
– The value of the time saved is $6 billion (U.S.)5
• The high-speed rail network is credited with
rejuvenating rural towns.
• Privatization saved Japan’s high-speed rail network from
bankruptcy.6
5 Id.
6 Id.
Overly Dependent
• In 2009, the U.S. trade deficit was $380 billion.7
– More than half of the deficit, $204 billion, is oil
related.
– Automotive imports accounted for $79 billion.
• A consistent trade deficit weakens the economy.
7 U.S.
Census Bureau
High-Speed Rail Technology
• Two Approaches
– Traditional High-Speed Rail Technology
– Maglev Technology
Conventional High-Speed Rail
Technology
• Standard gauge track.
• No at-grade crossings.
– Trains either travel above (via bridges) or below
(via tunnels) automobile traffic.
• Implementation of a traditional high-speed
rail network would require dedicated rail lines.
• Bridges and tunnels would be constructed.
• Dedicated rail lines and at-grade requirements
would therefore result in an infrastructure
overhaul.
• One major benefit of conventional high-speed rail is
articulated train cars.
• Articulated train cars
share wheels and
trucks.
• They are, more or less,
permanently attached.
• Articulated cars provide for smoother rides, less
vibration and the design reduces the likelihood of
jackknifing.
• Less wheels and trucks means less frequent
maintenance.
• Articulated cars allow for the train to tilt.
Magnetic Levitation Trains
• Conventional high-speed rail utilizes standard
gauge rail, diesel engines and overhead
electrified wires to propel trains.
• Magnetic levitation, or “Maglev”, trains is a
system that uses magnetic energy to suspend
and propel trains.
– No engine is required to pull cars down the track.
– No fossil fuels are used.
• The magnetized coil running along the track,
called a guideway, repels the large magnets on
the train's undercarriage.
– This allows the train to levitate.
• Wheels are used at slower speeds when the
magnetic force is not strong enough to
suspend the train.
• There is no friction, allowing for an incredibly
smooth ride at unprecedented speeds.
• Magnetic energy used to propel the train can
be recaptured when the train slows down.
• “Tokyo's electric trains get 6,600 miles to the gallon.”8
• Constructing a high-speed rail system would result in
29 million fewer car trips and 500,000 fewer plane
flights each year.9
– Results in an annual reduction of 6 billion pounds of
carbon dioxide emissions.
• A national high speed rail system will significantly
reduce our dependence on cars and oil.
– It would significantly reduce carbon emissions.
• The electrical portion of the system can be powered by
renewable energy.
Thank you!
8 USA
9
Today (Mar. 4, 2008).
Center for Clean Air Policy (2006).