High-speed rails make slow move to Virginia

RICHMOND

Virginians might not see high-speed rail for at least a couple decades, but that has not discouraged many from climbing aboard what's shaping up to be a slow-moving train.

It won't be until 2030 before the first of the higher speed trains roll into Virginia, Department of Rail and Public Transportation chief Thelma Drake told more than 200 hopefuls this week at a regional conference.

The state recently won a $44 million federal grant to complete design of the $1.8 billion Richmond to Washington, D.C., segment of the high-speed rail corridor on the East Coast.

Drake said she estimates the work would take eight years. The first trains wouldn't run until after 2030 once time is factored in for federal applications and funding negotiations, and for construction.

A spur to Hampton Roads along the U.S. 460 corridor is planned for beyond 2030.

Drake credited the Southeast High Speed Rail Association, which hosted the conference titled "Making it Happen," for advocating for fast trains despite the slow process.

"It's been your synergy, your energy that's kept this debate alive," she said.

The day long Richmond conference attracted people from Atlanta to Boston, said Daniel Plaugher, executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail.

"Being the optimist that I am, I think we can probably speed this timetable up," Plaugher said. "Our goal is to keep the momentum going in this region."

Drake said that while President Barack Obama's administration has made unprecedented sums of money available for high-speed rail, continued funding at those levels is unlikely.

"It's more important now than ever that we strategically plan transportation investments, so we get the best bang for the buck," Drake said.

A looming question for Virginia, she said, is speed: Will Virginia be satisfied with 110 mph and below, which is currently what's planned, or will significantly more money be spent to reach true high speed levels of more than 110 mph? For more than 110 mph, a sealed corridor separated from freight trains and other transportation modes is required.

Karen H edlund, Federal Railroad Administration's chief counsel, said her agency was swamped with applications for rail stimulus money.

"High-speed rail is something this country really wants," she said. "Massive revitalization of rail will not happen overnight."

Amtrak's Jeff Mann, senior director for policy and development, said high-speed rail's niche market will be for trips of less than 500 miles between urban areas. He said urban areas are expected to double in population by 2050, which will drive demand.

Jim Westmoreland, North Carolina's deputy transportation secretary, said, "These things won't happen easily. There's a new reality of how we work our funding options."

John Conlow, Amtrak's senior director of corridor planning, said he predicts there will be private participation in the development of high-speed rail and closer relationships with other transportation operators.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com