Top Ten Questions For Joseph H. Boardman

[Acela150]

I would ask him if he thinks that HSR at 220MPH in the NEC is doable by the year 2030. IIRC that's the year their talking about. I honestly forget. I honestly think that their is no chance that they can build a separate ROW and catenary from WAS to BOS and have the number of trainsets that they want by the time frame they have in mind. Just some opinions.

 

[Anderson]

I would ask him if he thinks that HSR at 220MPH in the NEC is doable by the year 2030. IIRC that's the year their talking about. I honestly forget. I honestly think that their is no chance that they can build a separate ROW and catenary from WAS to BOS and have the number of trainsets that they want by the time frame they have in mind. Just some opinions.

The answer is sort-of...they can upgrade the hell out of the NYP-PHL segment and make it work there. I think it's more a matter of average speeds...I'd like to ask, in the vein of the super-duper HSR, if he expects to be able to timetable BOS-WAS at an average of 100 MPH by then.

 

[jis]

The other question I'd ask him, again in so many words, is how he would like to see the future of the LD services go, and what he sees as being the future of those markets in terms of demand (i.e. rates of increase, etc.). Does he see more future in the East than in the West, for example?

He has already answered that question twice in Congressional hearings. Do you seriously expect him to give you a different answer?

To paraphrase ... the answer always has been "Long Distance trains are a money losers. Until Congress decides what it wants the policy to be regarding LD trains there will not be any more of them. The current level of service will be maintained, and some adjustments may be made to improve CR."

Now I am not saying that I agree or disagree with that, but that is what he has said twice.

I would ask him if he thinks that HSR at 220MPH in the NEC is doable by the year 2030. IIRC that's the year their talking about. I honestly forget. I honestly think that their is no chance that they can build a separate ROW and catenary from WAS to BOS and have the number of trainsets that they want by the time frame they have in mind. Just some opinions.

If someone is willing to foot the bill it can happen.

They are not going to run 220mph anything on the current NYP - PHL right of way no matter what they do to it. Absent some land acquisition along the RoW to increase track center spacing there will not be anything going at more than 160mph there, no matter how many press releases say otherwise. And even that has potential only in about 40 miles of the current ROW. The rest will require significantly greater surgery.

 

[Acela150]

That's exactly my Point Jis. "Who's going to foot the bill??" I would only think that he's under the impression that congress will foot the bill. I doubt that will happen. I just can't see anyone funding a billion dollar project that will take years to complete but would pay off.