President Joe Biden speaks during an event to mark Amtrak’s 50th anniversary at 30th Street Station … [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden told a friendly crowd of Amtrak employees and managers as well as some legislators that the national rail service is a critical part of his infrastructure plans. Standing on a windy platform at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station on April 30, 2021, Biden said that rail transportation for both freight and passengers, is sustainable and efficient. “It uses 83% less greenhouse gasses compared to driving and 73% less than air travel.”
But the President was interested in more than just the efficiencies of rail transportation. His ultimate goal was to build support for his $2.2 trillion infrastructure plan, which proposes $80 billion to improve and modernize Amtrak, along with an additional $85 billion to modernize and expand transit.
High Speed Rail
WASHINGTON, DC – First lady Dr. Jill Biden and President Joe Biden depart the White House on April … [+]
Getty Images
“If we could straighten three curves between Washington and New York, we could cut the travel time to an hour and a half,” Biden said. He also said that his plan would include a significant increase in the number of communities served by passenger rail as well as upgrading facilities. He said that a critical improvement is the construction of a new tunnel beneath the Hudson River in New York. He said that he plans another $10 billion annually to improve and expand rail service, of which two-thirds would go to Amtrak.
Biden pointed out that his American Rescue Plan, which provided $2 trillion for Covid relief included funding that allowed Amtrak to return to its pre-pandemic operations, returning thousands of furloughed workers.
He said that he envisions high-speed rail corridors in heavily populated areas, such as between Atlanta and Charlotte or Chicago and Detroit, where trains would travel at speeds up to 220 miles per hour.
Competition with China
Chinese high speed bullet trains prepare to set out in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. (Photo by … [+]
Visual China Group via Getty Images
“We’re way behind the rest of the world now,” Biden said, “but we’re in competition with the rest of the world. This will allow us to compete.”
“China has 23,000 miles of high-speed rail now,” he said. “It travels at 220 miles per hour, and they’re working on 400 mile-per-hour trains.”
Biden motioned to Amtrak’s new Avila Liberty trainset parked behind him and said that he can’t wait to ride the new trains. Earlier he’d mentioned that he commuted to work on Amtrak’s Acela and before that on its predecessor, the Metroliner, the entire time he was in the Senate.
“We have to build back better,” Biden said, “that includes intercity rail to help America get back on track.”
Shortly before the Biden appearance in Philadelphia, Amtrak published its 2020 Sustainability Report, which outlined how the railroad had improved its efficiency, cutting energy use substantially. The new trainsets and other passenger equipment are intended to significantly improve efficiency and reduce energy use.
