Should Amtrak Develop High-Speed Corridor Service Outside the Northeast?
Highlights
If the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) were to extend its northeast corridor to 16 other corridors, the following would be anticipated: (1) improved and more convenient services to the public through greater train speed and better on-time performance; (2) lower deficits through increased ridership; (3) improved energy conservation through the public's greater use of the energy-efficient train; (4) lower air pollution as fewer people use their automobiles; (5) employment resulting from the labor-intensive railroad operation; (6) preservation of some railroad rights-of-way in and between urban areas; and (7) maintenance of a mode of transportation that can be converted away from oil in a crisis. Congress must decide whether these possible benefits justify the high cost associated with establishing and maintaining corridor rail service.