Eugene to Portland in one hour? High-speed rail
EUGENE, Ore. -- Eugene to Portland in one hour?
That speedy travel is possible with high speed rail, a longtime dream of many Oregonians.
Two new federal plans are breathing life into those plans.
The federal stimulus package includes $8 billion for high speed rail.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's 2010 budget includes another five billion dollars for a state high speed rail grant program.
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to seek some of the stimulus money to work on high speed rail plans in the Northwest. ODOT and the Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together on high speed rail plans for years. A Northwest corridor connecting Eugene to Canada is one of six federally designated high speed rail corridors.
Currently, two high speed Talgo trains travel between Portland Eugene. Those trains are capable of reaching 110 miles per hour, but can reach only 70 because of track conditions and train traffic.
According to Travis Brouwer, ODOT Federal Affairs Advisor, ODOT would use federal money to upgrade the tracks and possibly install rail siding, a low speed track for slower trains. That would allow the Talgo trains to reach their maximum speeds.
Brouwer said Oregon would likely have to purchase Talgo trains as well, since the two in use belong to Washington State.
It is too soon to figure the cost of implementing high speed rail in Oregon, said Brouwer. He seemed hopeful Oregon and Washington would receive a share of the federal rail money, nothing the Northwest corridor is one of the nation's top passenger rail corridors in terms of ridership.
