The big folly of high-speed rail

The Dec. 18 Amtrak train crash in DuPont, Washington, and the story that followed in the Daily Herald revealed some important facts. First, the speeds were far in excess of the posted limits leading to the crash and the deaths and injuries of many, as 84 people were on board a seven-car train from Seattle to Portland. a roughly three and a half-hour trip.

To accomplish this high-speed trip, which cost $187 million to save 10 minutes,

Amtrak and local municipalities are now going to see there liability costs skyrocket. What is clear to begin with is this was a bad idea from inception that got much worse. There is no economic way that the passenger count and revenue generated will ever cover the costs associated with day to day operations. These costs, like all public transportation costs, will then be funded by taxes to local residents.

Now, as bad as all that sounds, adjacent to the above story, was the Illinois version of a high-speed Amtrak addition. Not surprisingly Illinois can outdo any state on wasting money. For a mere $2 billion, a high speed Amtrak train will now be available from Chicago to Springfield to save 20 minutes on a three-hour trip.

If you ask who will take this train, and what is its urgency, you might get blank stares from most people. But I have the answer. It's to get our state officials to and from Springfield so they can do nothing faster.

Ask how will this service pay for the few people moving to and from Springfield, and I think you know the answer. You will see higher taxes. Adding insult to injury, the state officials who do use this service, will not pay for this service, because, you see, their transportation costs are reimbursed by us the taxpayers.

Have you had enough?

Richard Francke

Bartlett