Some points regarding the wisdom of investing large sums of public money to improve intercity rail service:
Track improvements benefit freight carriers as well as passenger operations. More capacity in rail corridors helps divert freight-hauling trucks from highways. That lessens the need for costly highway construction and repair, and also contributes to improved air quality.
Population density in an area such as the Triangle, while a valid concern when it comes to local commuter rail, is less of a factor in gauging the market for intercity passenger service. What's more important is how many people travel to destinations such as Washington and Charlotte, within that medium-distance range where the hassle of flying often isn't worth it and the time to drive is roughly the same.
Passenger train ridership hinges on speed and convenience (i.e., frequency of service). Train travel doesn't have to become the default, replacing highways, for it to become a useful option for many people. And the "subsidy"? All transportation modes are subsidized by the public in one fashion or another. The main expectation should be that costs match up well with benefits.
Of course, when the federal government is looking to stimulate a bummed-out economy through infrastructure investment, rail becomes a logical candidate. President Barack Obama has bought into the concept of targeting rail spending on corridors where high-speed passenger service would likely be popular. That's welcome news for North Carolina.
The Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor runs through the Triangle's heart, extending to Charlotte in one direction and Washington in the other. To complete it will cost much more than the $520 million that, as was announced yesterday, North Carolina now is set to receive. But this infusion will give the project added momentum.
The upshot, attainable perhaps over the next half-dozen years, could be passenger trains running between Raleigh and Charlotte in a little over two hours, and from Raleigh to D.C. in about four. That will sell tickets. And meanwhile, freight service would benefit as well.
The United States has lagged badly in keeping its rail networks up to the standards common in other advanced countries. Strengthening those networks will mean jobs and a broader range of transportation choices for both goods and people. It's a very practical approach that Obama is smart to endorse.
