In a talk with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara offered to partially fund a high-speed rail line running from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, MD. Building a high-speed line, such as those operated by Japan’s JR-Maglev and HSST (developed by Japan Airlines), would cut the commute between the two cities from the current hour by train to around 15 minutes.
The proposal, which includes eventual extension of the high-speed line to New York City, currently hinges on approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the states through which the rail line would be constructed. Currently, there is no high-speed rail line within the United States, and regulations for such an undertaking are in the earliest stages of development.
Construction of a high-speed line between Washington and New York would certainly help the flagging construction industry, creating many jobs and demand for raw materials that would bolster the sector’s economic recovery. With construction unemployment topping 20%, any infusion of funding to get infrastructure projects underway would be well considered to get the country’s workers back on track. Back on track. Okay, that was terrible.
The proposal, which includes eventual extension of the high-speed line to New York City, currently hinges on approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the states through which the rail line would be constructed. Currently, there is no high-speed rail line within the United States, and regulations for such an undertaking are in the earliest stages of development.
Construction of a high-speed line between Washington and New York would certainly help the flagging construction industry, creating many jobs and demand for raw materials that would bolster the sector’s economic recovery. With construction unemployment topping 20%, any infusion of funding to get infrastructure projects underway would be well considered to get the country’s workers back on track. Back on track. Okay, that was terrible.
High-speed train image is copyright Flickr.com user Craig Wyzik, and is used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license (CC BY 2.0).
Mike Wrightly is mostly diesel fumes and duct tape; he grew up around heavy equipment, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
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