While high-speed rail is not in widespread use in the United States, these systems may be an effective alternative in corridors where travel is increasing and it is difficult to expand highway and airport capacity. However, high-speed rail systems are costly, and thus ridership levels may not be high enough in the United States for systems to cover their costs. Concerned about the role that federal financial assistance might play in developing such systems, you asked us to review the status of high-speed rail development in the United States. In particular, you asked us to focus on project plans for the Florida corridor for which detailed studies on building a new high-speed rail system between Miami, Orlando, and Tampa have begun. Sponsors for the project, known as the Florida Overland Express (FOX) project, will request significant federal capital assistance in the near future. This report provides information on (1) the estimated cost, financing, ridership, and schedule for the FOX rail project; (2) the status of a new federal transportation infrastructure financing program and how federal funding decisions for the FOX project might affect the new program and (3) The status of other planned high-speed rail corridors in the United States. To respond to these objectives, we reviewed cost, finance, ridership, and schedule documents on the FOX project; interviewed federal officials on the new infrastructure financing program; and interviewed federal officials on the new infrastructure financing program; and interviewed state officials responsible for 11 other potential high-speed rail corridors in the United States.
Surface Infrastructure: High-Speed Rail Projects in the United States
1999
56 pages
Report
No indication
English
Metropolitan Rail Transportation , Transportation , Transportation & Traffic Planning , Rail transportation , High speed transportation , United States , Rapid transit systems , High speed ground transportation , Federal aid , Federal assistance programs , Cost estimates , Financing , Funds , Interviews , Transportation planning , Florida Overland Express Project , FOX project , Ridership
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