By Kent Klein
Washington
16 April 2009
President Barack Obama wants the United States to join otherindustrialized countries in having an extensive high-speed rail system.The president has unveiled his plan to accelerate the development ofhigh-speed rail in the U.S.
President Obama says high-speed railcould do for America what it is already doing for other countries,including China and Spain.
"A high-speed line between Madridand Seville is so successful that more people travel between thosecities by rail than by car and airplane combined. China, where servicebegan just two years ago, may have more miles of high-speed railservice than any other country just five years from now," he said.
High-speedrail only serves America's Northeast corridor, between Washington, D.C.and Boston, Massachusetts. But plans are under way to extend the rapidtransit to other areas of the country.
Before leaving for Latin America, Mr. Obama outlined his two-part strategy for accelerating those plans.
"Improvingour existing rail lines, to make current train service faster, but alsoidentifying potential corridors for the creation of world-classhigh-speed rail," he said.
Congress included $8 billion for raildevelopment in the economic stimulus legislation it passed inFebruary. Mr. Obama is including another $5 billion for high-speedrail in his federal budget.
High-speed rail has had mixedpolitical support in the past. But President Obama says it couldstrengthen the U.S. economy, in addition to improving the country'stransportation system. He says the United States should not be leftbehind while other nations are moving ahead with high-speed rail.
"Soit is being done. It is just not being done here. There is no reasonwhy we cannot do this. This is America. There is no reason why thefuture of travel should lie somewhere else, beyond our borders," hesaid.
The president was joined at the announcement by VicePresident Joe Biden, who, in 35 years as a U.S. Senator, is estimatedto have taken almost 8,000 rail trips between Washington and his homein Wilmington, Delaware.
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