Despite the latest struggles for the ambitious plans of the High Speed Rail Authority in California, now on the cross of a hostile federal government, which is awarding $ 4 billion in funding, agency officials and their transportmates from all over the country are still optimistic that there is a public appetite for high -speed and exchange railway projects in the United States.
Speaking to the attendees of the Railway Conference of the American Public Transport Association on June 30 in San Francisco, Ladonna Dicamillo, regional railway director of South California for the CHSRA, said that of the 171 miles of alignment built in the Central Valley, 119 are in the test test phase. He added 463 miles plus the environmental review process, with only a 30 mile segment, he added.
The agency can study public-private collaborations, as it continues to “evaluate the vision” it added.
In another group of July 2, the new regional director of the state of Chsra, Base Muallem, said he works with the BNSF railway in potential planes to share facilities such as storage gardens. Future Construction will implement learned lessons, such as identifying the risks of acquisitions and services of the right of passage and communicating better to the interested parties.
He said that the agency is now using real -time monitoring of high -risk activities such as utility transfers with cloud -based applications, not Excel spreadsheets.
Amtrak continues strong with his capital program, fed by the IIJA. Its $ 6.8 billion budget for 2025 financial year includes $ 50 billion on “critical” projects such as building two new electrified tunnel tunnel tubes in Baltimore, said Jennifer Mitchell, a Strategy and Planning Executive Vice President.
Five of the ten contracts are underway for the $ 11 billion walkway program in New York and New Jersey to build two new tunnels under the Hudson River while the two existing ones were renewed. Another amount of $ 100 million aims to increase the accessibility of the station.
Even in the early planning process there is a 54 -mile desert corridor that would connect the counties of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, which are linked to the California high -speed railway line and the planned Brightline West that linked the area of the with the Las Vegas area.
Speaking of the question of the megaprojects that often exceeds cost and calendar estimates, Arthur V. Sohikian, executive director of the High Desert Joint Powers Agency, said: “When I am dead and missing, no one will import the cost. We hope they only use it.”
Rethink the processes
The idea of using installations to store long lead items that contractors could access if it was necessary to help the Massachusetts Bay transport authority to renew their system to eliminate 250 speed restrictions due to narrow curves and the deterioration of the track, said Phil, director general of MBTA and CEO.
“We treat the state repair projects of good condition almost as if it were an emergency,” he said, noting daily calls with contractors and a plan to add additional as needed. The agency replaced the 250,000 feet of rail in 2023, and by 2024 “2.4 million minutes a day” were returned “to the travelers, he said.
The leaders of the July 2 session agency stated a common desire to see that various federal review processes are streamlined, such as the capital investment program. “It takes time to obtain a complete financing grant agreement” through the CIG program, said Timothy Lindholm, responsible for Los Angeles subway programs, adding that the process should be accelerated for “tested entities” that have requested grants in the past.
While environmental stakeholders are “sturdy” for relevant reviews, “our regulatory regime sometimes emphasizes the process on purpose,” said Dow Constantine, director general of Seattle’s sound transport.
Muallem agreed, saying: “We cannot have a review of five to ten years.” He regretted that a project could wait up to three years for a permit because the public comment process is not reduced enough. With regard to useful transfers, “this is also a process that needs forever” because the utilities “insist on doing it,” he said. A potential response could be: “We can do and show -vos -ho [what we’re doing]”, He said.” Otherwise, you are killing the project. “
High hopes of hydrogen
The San Bernardino County Transport Authority restored a maintenance patio to accommodate hydrogen -powered railway cars. The first zero emission passenger train, a zero emission unit that federally compares, a multiple zero emission unit (ZEMU), reached San Bernardino County in June 2024.The passenger train uses hydrogen technology and hybrid batteries to boost the electrical train systems and the power on board. Water vapor is the only emission generated by the propulsion system.
The installation requires both active and passive ventilation, including an increase in Louvres and 6-in. Line for fire removal, Joy Buenaflor, a SBCTA Rail Deputy Director and Rail.
While hydrogen -fed vehicles have been for a while, their passenger railway equivalents are still in childhood, Joseph Tax, a HDR railway vehicle specialist, said. Railways require much more energy. To support the infrastructure, “ventilation is your best friend,” he added that gas and flame detectors, fire suppression and spark reserve are considerations.
Hydrogen leaks in the tunnels are another risk, as well as load limitations, download rates and the eventual degradation of fuel batteries, adds Martin Schroeder, Jacobs contracts manager.
The two -car passenger train is expected to enter commercial service sometime this year.
