Sharing isn’t always easy, particularly when you’re talking about one railroad track and two trains. Slow-moving freight behemoths often get in the way of faster passenger trains.
Until that issue could be resolved amicably, the federal government was reluctant to hand over to the state the millions of dollars in stimulus money it wants to improve high-speed passenger service between the Triangle and Charlotte, with stops including Burlington, Greensboro and High Point.
And although Norfolk Southern drives a hard bargain, it finally reached an agreement with N.C. DOT that passes federal muster, allowing the state to secure $461 million in federal grants that will pay for passenger service upgrades.
The obvious solution was laying additional track on the current right of way. As a result, 28 miles of parallel track now will be installed between Greensboro and Charlotte, along with five miles of passing sidings on the Raleigh-Greensboro stretch.
The work also will involve building a dozen new highway bridges, closing private crossings, straightening curves and updating rights of way. Those projects, in turn, will create more than 4,800 much-needed jobs over the next two years.
According to state projections, the improvements eventually will allow Amtrak trains to reach speeds up to 90 mph. They also could cut travel time between Charlotte and Raleigh to less than three hours.
Stimulus critics say that’s too steep a price to pay for shaving less than a half-hour from a one-way trip. In fact, several states that have seen a conservative shift in leadership recently rejected stimulus funding for faster passenger service. Some Republicans in Raleigh are pushing for a similar response in North Carolina.
That would be shortsighted. Highway construction is time-consuming and expensive. Investing in long-term rail infrastructure will pay future dividends. In the short term, more convenient, safe service will help relieve at least some of the congestion in the already crowded I-85/I-40 corridor through the Piedmont.
Last fall, the state added a third train connecting the two cities. Ridership is strong. If all goes well, a fourth train will come on-line after the route improvements are completed.
On a more selfish level, if those federal stimulus dollars don’t come here, they will go somewhere else. The quest for rail stimulus money enjoyed bipartisan support from the state’s congressional delegation in 2009 and there’s no indication that has changed.
The push to improve passenger service extends beyond the state’s borders. Proposed upgrades elsewhere ought to reduce travel time to major cities nationwide. As gas prices continue to rise and air travel becomes increasingly stressful and time-consuming, trains become a more viable alternative.
But before that happens here, the state has to clear the way. The recent agreement with Norfolk Southern is a good start.
Editorial: On the fast track
Thursday, March 24, 2011
