Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site noscvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!noscvax!price From: price@noscvax.UUCP (James N. Price) Newsgroups: net.railroad Subject: Re: uses of Amtrak Message-ID: <180@noscvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 27-Jan-86 15:53:20 EST Article-I.D.: noscvax.180 Posted: Mon Jan 27 15:53:20 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 30-Jan-86 04:43:09 EST References: <571@decwrl.DEC.COM> Reply-To: price@cod.UUCP (James N. Price) Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego Lines: 36 Fellow railfans--I think that some group or company that knows what they're doing and has some reasonable amount of money should be preparing to take over at least some of the Amtrak operation. The handwriting seems to be on the wall that, for better or worse, the government is hellbent on getting out of "training." I won't go into the various defenses of why the govt. should BE in training at this time. What I'd like to know is: who's thinking about the real future? It seems clear that the airplane space in this country is nearing saturation, but there's no travel alternative at the moment between 100 MPH trains and 500 MPH aircraft. What is needed is a high-speed ground transportation system (and I'm talking about at least 300 MPH) that can be integrated in with a commercial aircraft system. I'd like to see a jet-powered or float-on-air sled that can carry 100 people for example. I have a lot of other thoughts about what this system would look like, but right now I just want to know if anyone is seriously working on a concept like I've described. I spoke last week to a gentleman at the Federal Railroad Association and he told me that the fed. govt has zeroed R&D funding into high speed rail, for several years running. The most optimistic govt/ private sector coalition that he was aware of is the Florida High Speed Rail group that's looking into 150 MPH transportation between Miami, Orlando and Tampa (I believe). Any other such projects under development? My address is PRICE@NOSC.ARPA. Would appreciate some thoughts on the above. It seems clear to me that over the short haul, some alternative plans for running an Amtrak equivalent need to be made. For the long haul, we need some kind of ground transportation system that will allow transit from LA to New York in, say, 10 hours. Cheers--Jim Price P.S. The thoughts expressed above are mine and mine alone.