Forbes On High Speed Rail

"The train, part of Amtrak's New York to New Orleans run, makes the Atlanta-Birmingham trip in a leisurely three hours. Driving the 150 miles between the two cities takes half an hour less.In the U.S., such a situation is typical when it comes to traveling by rail. But the era of the slow train could be nearing its end. Spurred on by frustrated business leaders, state governments around the country are developing big-ticket plans for high-speed rail, and Congress looks likely to play ball... The SEA plan would also split the train system into two areas. The infrastructure (tracks, signals and so on) would be built and subsidized by the government. Operation of the trains would be handed off to the private sector. The group argues that such a model has 'strong potential for operating profit.'"