Hampton Roads is currently looking at both light rail and high speed rail, which are different. Unlike light rail, high speed rail is designed for travel between one urban region and another. For example, Amtrak's Acela travels between Washington and Boston. The proposed high speed rail terminal in Norfolk would also be a light rail station to allow for easy travel connections.
After WWII, passenger rail travel in the US dropped as more people could afford cars. Only commuter trains into those cities where driving and parking were difficult continued to be well-used. As a result, the only inter-city passenger service remaining is Amtrak. In 2000, Amtrak introduced Acela as the first high speed passenger rail in the US. While Acela can go as fast as 160 mph, it must slow considerably in places where the tracks date as far back as 1850.
In 2009, President Obama proposed $8,000,000,000 in stimulus money to expand high speed rail corridors. Alabama, Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia voted in January, 2010, to form the Southeast High Speed Rail Coalition to accelerate the development of high speed and intercity rail connectivity in the region.
After public hearings and comment, on February 17, 2010, the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) chose “Alternative 1” for enhanced passenger rail service between Richmond and Hampton Roads. This choice would serve both the Peninsula and the Southside, with three daily round trips on the Peninsula and six daily round trips on the Southside. Southside service would operate at speeds of 90 mph or 110 mph between Downtown Norfolk, Chesapeake (Bower’s Hill Station), Petersburg and Richmond Main Street Station.
Tags: Acela | Amtrak | high speed rail | passenger trains |
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