Rail
Rail: A Perfect Legacy for George W. Bush
By Daniel G. Jennings
Presidents, especially second-term presidents, want to leave something behind so future generations will think of them as more than a picture in a history book. If President Bush wants to create a legacy that future generations will notice and appreciate he should launch a program to modernize, expand and electrify our nation’s railroad system.
Americans today remember Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency most for Ike’s launch of the effort to build the Interstate Highway system in the late 1950s. Bush could leave a similar legacy behind by launching an effort to create a nationwide system of high-speed electric-powered railroads.
This plan would involve the modernization and expansion of existing railroads, and the building of new lines. These new rail lines should carry both freight and passenger trains, in particular high speed freight trains that would take a lot of freight off of the crowded freeways and out of expensive cargo planes.
Such an effort is needed because the nation’s existing railroads are old and incapable of carrying the vast amounts of freight moved on them. It is also needed because the highways both rural and urban are congested and in some cases blocked by gridlock much of which is created by trucks carrying freight. Airports and the skyways are already congested and getting worse. In particular trains could move many of the passengers who take shorter flights, freeing up the skies for long term passengers.
Unlike planes, cars, trucks and the diesel locomotives that pull most of America’s trains electric powered trains wouldn’t run on imported oil. They would be powered by electricity we can create here by using coal, hydroelectric, nuclear, natural gas and other power sources we have now. Unlike hydrogen and electric powered cars, electric trains are a proven technology that exists here and now. They can be implemented without vast amounts of expensive research and development.
To add icing to the cake, electric trains are faster and more efficient than diesel trains and require less maintenance. It is possible right now to build high-speed electric trains that run at speeds of 200 MPH which would make trains competitive with planes for passenger business on shorter lines and freight on longer lines.
Yes, modernization of our railroad system would be expensive but no more expensive than expanding the highway system or airports to meet increased demand. Railroad modernization could be easily and cheaply financed without increasing taxes by simply diverting freeway and airport construction money to rail construction.
Railroad modernization is doable, and we will see it begin within the next ten years. The question is who will start not, not if it will start.
It will take a popular president with the Bully Pulpit of the White House and support of Congress to launch railroad modernization, Bush has those things. Only somebody in Bush’s position could overcome the special interest opposition to rail modernization that exists on both sides of the aisle.
So will Bush go against special interests in his own party and anti-rail fanatics in his own Transportation Department to champion rail? That’s hard to say he did nothing of the sort in his first term but times maybe changing.
On Feb. 23, 2005, CNN’s American Morning show broadcast some remarks Bush made to a group of young German leaders during his European trip. Bush told the young Deutsch that America should rely upon “safe nuclear power.” The only way nuclear power can be used for ground transportation with present technology is to use reactors to generate electricity to power trains.
So President Bush might just end up leaving a nationwide electric rail system as his legacy. It’ll be a bold and surprising move, but that’s exactly the sort of thing that we’ve come to expect from this president.
By Daniel G. Jennings
Presidents, especially second-term presidents, want to leave something behind so future generations will think of them as more than a picture in a history book. If President Bush wants to create a legacy that future generations will notice and appreciate he should launch a program to modernize, expand and electrify our nation’s railroad system.
Americans today remember Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency most for Ike’s launch of the effort to build the Interstate Highway system in the late 1950s. Bush could leave a similar legacy behind by launching an effort to create a nationwide system of high-speed electric-powered railroads.
This plan would involve the modernization and expansion of existing railroads, and the building of new lines. These new rail lines should carry both freight and passenger trains, in particular high speed freight trains that would take a lot of freight off of the crowded freeways and out of expensive cargo planes.
Such an effort is needed because the nation’s existing railroads are old and incapable of carrying the vast amounts of freight moved on them. It is also needed because the highways both rural and urban are congested and in some cases blocked by gridlock much of which is created by trucks carrying freight. Airports and the skyways are already congested and getting worse. In particular trains could move many of the passengers who take shorter flights, freeing up the skies for long term passengers.
Unlike planes, cars, trucks and the diesel locomotives that pull most of America’s trains electric powered trains wouldn’t run on imported oil. They would be powered by electricity we can create here by using coal, hydroelectric, nuclear, natural gas and other power sources we have now. Unlike hydrogen and electric powered cars, electric trains are a proven technology that exists here and now. They can be implemented without vast amounts of expensive research and development.
To add icing to the cake, electric trains are faster and more efficient than diesel trains and require less maintenance. It is possible right now to build high-speed electric trains that run at speeds of 200 MPH which would make trains competitive with planes for passenger business on shorter lines and freight on longer lines.
Yes, modernization of our railroad system would be expensive but no more expensive than expanding the highway system or airports to meet increased demand. Railroad modernization could be easily and cheaply financed without increasing taxes by simply diverting freeway and airport construction money to rail construction.
Railroad modernization is doable, and we will see it begin within the next ten years. The question is who will start not, not if it will start.
It will take a popular president with the Bully Pulpit of the White House and support of Congress to launch railroad modernization, Bush has those things. Only somebody in Bush’s position could overcome the special interest opposition to rail modernization that exists on both sides of the aisle.
So will Bush go against special interests in his own party and anti-rail fanatics in his own Transportation Department to champion rail? That’s hard to say he did nothing of the sort in his first term but times maybe changing.
On Feb. 23, 2005, CNN’s American Morning show broadcast some remarks Bush made to a group of young German leaders during his European trip. Bush told the young Deutsch that America should rely upon “safe nuclear power.” The only way nuclear power can be used for ground transportation with present technology is to use reactors to generate electricity to power trains.
So President Bush might just end up leaving a nationwide electric rail system as his legacy. It’ll be a bold and surprising move, but that’s exactly the sort of thing that we’ve come to expect from this president.
posted by great one at 7:18 PM
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