www.railroad.net US News. 12th November 2011

www.railroad.net

High-Speed Rail Authority’s EIR Rejected for Second Time
Posted: 12 Nov 2011 01:35 PM PST

According to the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, a Sacremento Superior Court judge has again rejected the High-Speed Rail Authority’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) of high-speed rail in the Bay Area.  The judge, Jude Michael Kenny, felt that the authority’s assessment fell short in several key components.  Specifically, Kenny said that the report did not properly examine the impact of trains on Monterey Road through San Jose, which would lose important traffic lanes under the proposed high-speed route.  In addition, Kenny also said that the assessment did not “adequately study how trains would affect Peninsula neighborhoods along the San Jose-to San Francisco corridor.”
Interestingly enough, both those in support and against high-speed rail feel that aspects of Judge Kenny’s ruling were a sign of victory.  The authority’s chairman, Thomas Umberg, pointed out that, although additional provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act need to met, Kenny did approve the proposed list of route alternatives and ridership projections.  California’s high-speed rail opponents don’t agree with Umberg’s point of view and feel that the judge’s ruling was a clear example of the shortcomings of the authority’s environmental assessment.  According to attorney Stuart Flashman, “In rejecting the Environmental Impact Report, the court has upheld the principle that significant projects impacts cannot be swept under the rug for later consideration, after the key decisions have already been made.”
The Sacramento Superior Court’s ruling is another setback for California’s high-speed rail project.  While finding funding for the nearly $100 billion project is the most important, overarching issue, until the High-Speed Rail Authority’s environmental assessment is approved, the project cannot move forward. Although the judge’s ruling cannot really be considered a defenitive win for the High-Speed Rail Authority, it did show the authority exactly what they need to improve in their next environmental assessment. For California high-speed rail opponents, this victory helps in delaying the project, but will probably only be a temporary road block.


Amtrak’s HOOSIER STATE
Posted: 11 Nov 2011 10:44 PM PST

After the devastating “Carter Cuts” on fiscal year, 1979, Indianapolis, Indiana became the largest city in the country without passenger service. Public pressure brought service in the way of Amtrak’s  HOOSIER STATE, which began operation on October 1, 1980. The train utilized the ex-PRR mainline to Colehour Junction, where it swung off onto the Bernice Cutoff, which it used to Bernice to enter the “Panhandle Mainline.” This was used for a few miles to Airline Junction in Munster, Indiana, where the train entered the L&N’s ex-Monon route.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-unOqoNPMfA

Visit www.railroad.net