There’s a paragraph in the current rail plan about electrifying Poughkeepsie to Albany. It boils down to “someday we’ll think about catenary” Nothing about cost estimates or proposals to start planning that I’ve seen.

There’s all sorts of things that have been done in the past. 40 years ago it took 4 hours to get from Grand Central to Albany. You couldn’t get from Penn Station to Albany. Trip takes two and half hours now.

The project for a second track between Albany and Schenectady is very well along, it’s just waiting for funding. There’s all sorts of things going on between Albany and Montreal, dump some money in Canadian Pacific’s lap and they could be sped up. Adding a third track between Albany and Buffalo along a ROW that is already 4 tracks wide is CSX’s and Amtrak’s wet dream. I’m sure they at least have plans that are far along for passing sidings. I think improved signaling between Albany and New York is being done if it’s isn’t already complete… Lots of stuff in NY, it’s just that none of it is spectacular.

Minnesota, it’s clear, is waiting for Pawlenty to leave.

The missing state which stands out to me is Indiana. It’s the critical link between Chicago and Michigan and between Chicago and the East (including Ohio). I’m afraid improvements in Indiana may have to be funded entirely by the federal government and by neighboring states, with a 0% local match. If so, expect no stations in Indiana!

I think Rahm Emmanuel might have come up with that number. I know it wasn’t put in until the final conference negotiations between the house, senate, and white house.

Remember too that Ben Nelson, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins were all holding us hostage with their votes in terms of keeping the overall numbers down.

while i don’t disagree about the thing with Amtrak and do in other areas. first off how he’s done almost nothing for transportation funding in VA during his term. VA as a whole needs it but Hampton Roads needs it the worst. he comes up with this little hair brained half***ed plan to fund transportation and it’s shot down with the rest of the actual good ideas at the GA. now that he ran his nose up Obama’s butt (no offense) like a credit card so he could get his little position in the DNC, now he want’s to put on his cape? truth be told he should just finish up his few months silently while hopefully somebody with some with a pair can come along and possibly (big possibly) make a better effort

“National Association of Railroad Passengers
Nov 21, 2008: Hotline #580

Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced S. 3700, the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008, on November 19. The bill would create an Office of High-Speed Rail within the FRA … to guide federal high-speed rail policy … Specifically, S. 3700 would authorize $8 billion in tax-exempt bonds and $15.4 billion in tax-credit bonds that would go towards worthy HSR investments. The bill also calls for a Department of Treasury study on potential “excise taxes” to “offset expenses” related to HSR….”

I don’t know where Kerry got $8 billion, or $23 billion for that matter. But after eight years of 0, that is, zero, even a mere $8 billion looked pretty good.