Train Riders' Association of California

High speed rail travel is commonplace in many Asian and European countries and integrated into their national rail networks. TRAC works to see that the existing rail service in the state is a partner with the coming high speed system, not a stepchild. This includes commute and intercity railways. TRAC promotes an integrated network of public transportation to relive the highway gridlock spreading across the state and the dire environmental and economic effects it creates.

New infrastructure is necessary to allow 200mph-plus trains to quickly connect the cities of California. In urban areas, the trains will travel slower, sharing the right of way of existing railways to minimize the need for new alignments and impacts on existing communities. Where possible in the developing Central Valley, the high speed line should be outside urban areas, with downtown stations served by loops from the mainline. The new alignment will work in concert with agricultural preservation, with a permanent agricultural easement placed along the railway to ensure sprawl does not endanger farmlands. This also keeps homes from being built and then impacted by the high speed mainline trains.

TRAC is generally satisfied with the alignments chosen by the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA). We were instrumental in the decision to bring the Altamont alignment back into consideration, and look forward to working diligently to see that the coming study of high speed rail integration in the Bay Area is unbiased by parochial demands. We demand a system that leverages the investment in a new railway to serve the greatest number of users, including people who choose to commute long distances to work on a daily basis.

TRAC strongly supports the adoption of steel wheel on steel rail technology, proven in over 40 years of service. Continued development of rail around the world has erased the supposed speed advantages of maglev schemes. Over many years of research, we have found no clear reason to believe that maglev technology will be appropriate for everyday transportation.

Around the world, high speed rail operates as part of a network, not a single line. TRAC advocates for a network where trains operate from terminals in major cities, though hubs, and onto final terminals. Loading all passengers onto a single line forces crowding and provides subpar service if significant cities are left as online stations, not built as a terminal.

Finally, TRAC believes the construction and operation of this necessary component of California's transportation network should look to the public-private partnerships that have built high speed lines around the world. While the public needs to maintain oversight on the funding and planning of the system, private partners have demonstrated that they can best deliver a project on time if the risks are known and shared between the public and private sectors. The model of large public agencies developing and managing large infrastructure projects has broken down, and needs to be replaced by a public-private partnership that has proven to be effective on other high speed rail projects.