A “rail”pike should be built by the government.

Letter to Congressional Representative Seth Moulton by Sanuel Walker . . .

“Just as a turnpike provides time and place utility for product and people, a railpike would also. And, just as a turnpike does not provide pick up and delivery of product and people, likewise a railpike would serve to provide transport service from point to point.“

Dear Congressman Moulton:

I have followed the railroad transportation for decades as an observer. I grew up in a town near Altoona, PA when the Pennsylvania Railroad was a major employer there. The Pennsylvania Railroad had their new freight and passenger car manufacturing facilities there. They maintained and repaired rolling stock and locomotives there. They had, before diesels, designed and built steam locomotives there.

The Pennsylvania Railroad up until the convolutions of the Penn Central merger and following Conrail had operated a four track mainline that was essentially two tracks for freight and two tracks for passenger service on the same right of way. With the decline of passenger service, the passenger tracks were removed.

Today the American railroad system is a freight railroad system with an appended government owned passenger system grafted onto it since 1971.

The American railroad system is privately owned. Much of the American railroad system was built within the limitations of 19th century civil engineering skills and tools. The American freight railroad system essentially is bound and tied to the civil engineering decisions and constraints of the 19th century.

I have read your recent proposed legislation to amend chapter 261 of title 49, United States Code, to provide for high-speed rail corridor development, and for other purposes. See: https://moulton.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/moulton.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/moulto_072_xml.pdf. or ‘‘American High-Speed Rail Act’’.

Your proposed Bill is progress prone and welcome.

However, it seems to tilt towards passenger service. This, I think, creates an illusion. In my mind, a 110 mph, Higher Speed Railroad or HrSRR that is freight capable is a logical goal. Achieve that goal and 110 mph passenger service will follow.

To achieve a 110 mph freight operation is achievable with current locomotive and rolling stock designs.

But, should a HrSRR be owned and built by private capital? Perhaps that is an illusion as well. Or, should it be built as a government owned system? 

As a turnpike in the past was a government owned entity, then perhaps a “rail”pike should be built by the government. Just as a turnpike provides time and place utility for product and people, a railpike would also. And, just as a turnpike does not provide pick up and delivery of product and people, likewise a railpike would serve to provide transport service from point to point. The first and last mile of initial pickup, sorting and then sorting and delivery would  be accomplished by private enterprise firms.

The country needs to create a railpike system that is not fossil fuel dependent for the propulsion in creating time and place utility for products and people. The American transport system, rail, road, air and water, is fossil fuel dependent. A railpike should be electrified using non fossil fuel systems for propulsion.

A ailpike should have secured and separate right of ways without at grade crossings of roads or streets.

A railpike should have the ability without grade crossings to operate autonomous trains and/or autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous vehicles could be operated in signal units or convoys.

Fiber optics communications will provide operating security.

A railpike could create a dynamic transport system that would be air competitive for product and people for certain distances that does not exist.

A railpike would create a higher speed alternative to interstate highways and create new transport services that do not exist.

Given the security requirements for air passenger service and the attendant pre-boarding check-in times, a railpike would be time competitive point to point. For extended distances, users of a railpike could provide sleeping accommodations to compete with air passenger service.

Passenger service by way of a railpike could be by way of Amtrak. But, as a railpike would be available to any and all enterprises with the higher speed capable equipment, road bus vehicles designed for fast conversion to rail from road or road to rail would provide differing passenger amenities that would be 110 mph capable. Inherent to a bus, the first mile and last mile, curb to curb, is a potential service plus. As such, no costly stations would be involved.

Around 1905 a direct electrified rail line was proposed called the New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Its route was 100 miles shorter than that of the then Pennsylvania Railroad. Its gradients would not have exceeded 1.0%. Replace the 19th century line of today with one generally surveyed in the early 20th century. Assume 800 miles. Assume an average transit speed of 90 mph or 7.5 hours and a passenger service without burdensome security and check in times together with gate delays and a railpike is air competitive. Factor in curb to curb vehicles and the time factor is competitive.

As air from New York too Chicago is one load, a railpike would draw from air passenger travelers, but also from road drivers. Unlike air, intermediate railpike distances would be identified among the multiple railpike passenger vehicle users. It is the road driver, given a transport alternative, that railpike would make inroads into the decision to drive or not.

I write hoping to interest you in the potential that there would be for a 110 mph higher speed railroad system. With its implementation, high speed passenger railroads capable of speeds to 186 mph could be identified for their feasibility. But, such high speed railroads should be freight capable as well. No high speed railroad anywhere is designed for freight.

Thank-you for your interest in a topic of lifelong interest to me. I have a little expertise from my observations, but I rely upon a synthesis of others with expertise.

Sam Walker

“Moulton Re-Introduces American High Speed Rail Act, Calling for $41 Billion Annual Investment to Build America’s Rail Future ,” Congressman Seth Moulton