Current Research and Development in Intercity Rail Passenger Systems
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CURRENTCURRENT R RESEARCHESEAR C H ANDAND D DEVELOPMENTEVELOPMENT IN IN INTERCITYINTER C ITY RRAILAIL PPASSENGERASSENGER SYSTEMS SYSTEMS NNUMBERUMBER 14 10 WinterFALL 2009 2004 CONTENTSCONTENTS Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Letter from the EditorChairman’s . 2 Letter UpdateIntercity is published Rail Passenger exclusively Sys- on 2 thetems Internet. Update The is tablenow ofpublished contents Rail 2 Rail Program Brings Benefits to offersexclusively links directly on the Internet.to each article, The Amtrak and Metrolink Rail Corridors . 3 Editor’s Introduction ortable you canof scrollcontents down offers to read links the entiredirectly newsletter. to each Pleasearticle, keep or you San Diego County Tests Rail3 2 Rail and yourcan bookmark scroll down at www.trb.org/ to read the Finds Strong Passenger Acceptance . 7 studies/publications/intercityrail.entire newsletter. Please keep Growth of European Passenger Rail Systems asyourp for bookmarkupcoming ateditions. www.trb.org/ Rail Links . 9 Ronald C. Sheck studies/publications/intercityrail. 4 Theasp Transportation for upcoming Researcheditions. Board is one of six major divisions A Positive Turn for High-Speed Rail The Transportation Research of the National Research Council, Joseph P. Schwieterman whichBoard serves is a unitas an of independent the National 8 adviserResearch to the Council, federal which govern serves- mentas anand independent others on scientific advisor andto technicalthe federal questions government of national on sci- Energy-Efficient Trains for the Reduction of Greenhouse importance.entifi c and The technical National questions Research Gas Emissions Councilof national is jointly importance. administered The by Tim Gillespie theNational National ResearchAcademy ofCouncil, Sci- 10 ences,jointly the administeredNational Academy by theof National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and the Institute Amtrak Update the National Academy of Engi- TRB 84th Annual Meeting, January 9–13, 2005 of Medicine. The mission of the Ross B. Capon Transportationneering, and Researchthe Institute Board of Washington, D.C. 12 is Medicine,to provide bringsleadership the resources in trans- http://www.TRB.org/meeting/ portationof the innovationentire scientifi and progress c and throughtechni calresearch community and information to bear on The Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Intercity Passenger Rail (AR010) is concerned with research that will lead to better planning and exchange,national conductedproblems throughwithin a its The Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Intercity Rail implementation of intercity rail passenger systems, with particular emphasis on settingvolunteer that advisoryis objective, committees. interdisci- Passenger Systems (AR010) is concerned with research that will lead to the full range of high-speed systems including new technology. This research will plinary, and multimodal. better planning and implementation of intercity rail passenger systems, with includeparticular demand emphasis analysis, on financial the full considerations, range of high-speed economic systemsimpacts ,(including including www.TRB.org considerationnew technology. of user andResearch social benefits), will include and institutional demand arrangementsanalysis, fi nancial includingconsiderations, public-private economic partnerships. effects The (including research should consideration also address of impactsuser and onsocial other railbenefi operations, ts), and coordination public-private with other partnerships modes, rail-highway and should interfaces, address impacts on other rail operations and the environment, coordination with corridorother modes,versus system rail–highway concerns, interfaces,technology assessment,corridor versus environmental system concerns,impacts, andtechnology implementation assessment, strategies. and implementation strategies. Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update is published intermittently by the Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update is published intermittently by Transportationthe Transportation Research Research Board to disseminateBoard to informationdisseminate about information current research about andcurrent development research in intercityand development rail passenger in systems. intercity Matthew rail passenger J. Melzer, systems.editor; AnthonyAlbert D.C. Perl,Witzig, Chair, editor; TRB JohnCommittee C. Tone, on IntercityChair; and Passenger Nazih Rail;K. Haddad, Elaine Vice King,Chair, TRB TRB staff Committee officer. Any on findingsIntercity andRail conclusions Passenger are Systems; those of Elainethe authors King, andTRB not Program of TRB. OffiSubmit cer. newsAny fiitems ndings to Elaineand conclusions King, Transportation are those ofResearch the authors Board,and not 500 of Fifth TRB. Street, Submit NW, Washington,news items DCto Intercity20001, telephone Rail Passenger 202-334-3208, Systems Update, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, orDC email 20001, [email protected]. telephone 202-334-3206, or e-mail [email protected]. www.TRB.org www.TRB. org No. 14 WINTER 2009 2 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE CHAIRMAN’S LETTER Chairman’s Letter Dear Readers: u t the end of 2008, both the economy and the electorate signaled that Editor’s Introduction Amajor changes will unfold in 2009. A year from now, the economy around u which America’s transportation system has been planned and built will look quite Growth of European different, and many of the new public officials in Washington and elsewhere in the Passenger Rail Systems United States will be considering ways to manage the transition. u Intercity passenger rail will be on their agenda for change, on account of its A Positive Turn for growing economic and environmental contributions in 2008, and because of the High-Speed Rail green light given by Californians—with the passage of Proposition 1A—to North u America’s most ambitious high-speed rail initiative in a generation. In this issue, Energy-Efficient these interesting developments are examined and they will be further discussed Trains for the Reduction of at our committee’s TRB Annual Meeting sessions. I expect that readers of this Greenhouse Gas Emissions newsletter will contribute to these exciting developments, and I hope that TRB’s Committee on Intercity Passenger Rail will provide useful input in those efforts. u Amtrak Update —Anthony Perl Simon Fraser University [email protected] u Back to Page 1 No. 14 WINTER 2009 3 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION Chairman’s Letter subtitle for this issue might read, A Brighter Future for Intercity Passenger u A Rail. In the past year, dramatic increases in fuel prices have led to increased Amtrak ridership and to greater public awareness of the benefits of Editor’s Introduction incremental increases in speed. Ronald Sheck’s article provides evidence that u new policies, technology, and investments have dramatically changed—and Growth of European improved—rail passenger services in Europe. Joseph Schwieterman’s piece Passenger Rail Systems identifies developments that could create support for high-speed rail investments u in the United States. A Positive Turn for Tim Gillespie comments on the fuel efficiency advantage of passenger rail High-Speed Rail (and on lower greenhouse gas emissions), and he contributes to arguments that u favor investments in passenger rail. Finally, the future for Amtrak is considerably Energy-Efficient brighter with the enactment of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Trains for the Reduction of Act of 2008, as summarized by Ross Capon. Greenhouse Gas Emissions —Matthew Melzer u [email protected] Amtrak Update u Back to Page 1 No. 14 WINTER 2009 4 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE GROWTH OF EUROPEAN PASSENGER RAIL SYSTEMS RONALD C. SHE C K [email protected] Chairman’s Letter u Ron Sheck retired after six years at the Washington State Department of Transportation—the last four of which he served as Urban Rail Program Editor’s Introduction Manager, Public Transportation Division. He has also served as Assistant Director, Guideway Research, Center for Urban Transportation Research, u University of South Florida, and as Director, Transportation Programs Division, New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, where he managed Growth of European preliminary studies that led to the RailRunner commuter system. Passenger Rail Systems September 2008 announcement by Air France, describing plans to inaugurate u A high-speed passenger trains with service from Paris to London and from Paris to Amsterdam, is evidence of the growing role of passenger rail in Europe. High-speed trains are the glitz and glamour of Europe’s rail systems, but high- A Positive Turn for speed rail is only part of the story. New policies, technology, and investments have High-Speed Rail dramatically changed rail passenger services in Europe. Faster trains are increasing in number, and not just on new, dedicated high-speed corridors, but on main lines and u secondary routes throughout the European continent. Passenger trains have become major components in the transportation network and are better connected than ever Energy-Efficient to other modes, including air, intercity and regional bus, local transit, international Trains for the ferries, and lake and river boats. Reduction of Policy changes have occurred at both the national and international levels, and the Greenhouse Gas creation of the European Union (EU) has resulted in a common approach. Integrated Emissions planning and investment recognizes the important contributions of passenger rail to meeting