The Northeast Corridor

This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.

Efforts are underway to solicit bids for a “passenger only” rail line between DC and New York. Amtrak currently shares the rail lines with other companies, including freight and passenger service.

While the idea of a high-speed train is appealing, I think you really have to think hard about the opportunity costs here. At 2h45m, the travel time between DC and NY is already competitive with air if you consider the time to get to and from the airports. Getting it down to 2 hours would be nice, but would it really make the difference?

Maybe smaller upgrades like more sidings, bridges, and longer platforms along the route would allow for more — and longer — Acela trains, since the service is so often sold out. Is that 45 minutes worth $40 billion, when passenger service in the rest of the country is so far behind? That’s an honest question, I don’t know.