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U.S. NEWSSaturday 27 June 2015
Popular elsewhere, high-speed rail remains elusive in the US
JULIET WILLIAMS A full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. In For now, the best the coun-
Associated Press try can do is Amtrak’s Ace-
SACRAMENTO, California recent decades, political pressure against bullet trains has come from conservatives who argue la, which reaches speeds
(AP) — Travelers easily whiz up to 150 mph on a busy
from city to city on high- that such systems should acquire private financial backing and prove that their operations will route between Washing-
speed trains in many parts ton and Boston.
of South America, Asia and at minimum be cost-neutral. It’s a burden state and federal governments do not place on other In an effort to jump-
Europe. Since the first high- start high-speed rail, the
speed lines began oper- huge transportation projects such as freeways and airports. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Obama administration in
ating more than 50 years 2009 awarded $7 billion for
ago in Japan, they have culture. train between Dallas and backing and prove that projects in California, Flori-
become an essential part “The challenge in America Houston. their operations will at mini- da and Wisconsin. Repub-
of transportation world- is the scale of America,” In recent decades, po- mum be cost-neutral. It’s a lican governors in Florida
wide. said Robert Eckels, chief litical pressure against bul- burden state and federal and Wisconsin rejected the
Yet the U.S. has never built a executive of the Texas let trains has come from governments do not place funding and backed out of
single strech of high-speed Central High Speed Rail- conservatives who argue on other huge transporta- high-speed rail plans, send-
rail, which is generally de- way, a private venture that such systems should tion projects such as free- ing more of those dollars to
fined as accommodating that is planning a bullet acquire private financial ways and airports. California.
trains that go at least 200 The list of other propos-
mph (321 kph). And pro- als for faster-speed rail in-
posals to do so have been cludes: linking Las Vegas
thwarted for decades. with greater Los Angeles;
So what’s holding America Chicago with St. Louis; Har-
back? risburg, Pennsylvania, with
For starters, a much larger Pittsburgh; Oklahoma City
land mass, longer distanc- with Tulsa; and upgrading
es between major cities track on a medium-speed
and the high cost of con- line between Miami and
struction. Other factors in- Orlando. Despite the po-
clude efficient air travel, litical resistance and finan-
relatively low prices for cial hurdles, two projects
gasoline and a car-based have moved beyond the
conceptual phase. One is
Survey: California’s $68 billion plan
for a high-speed rail net-
Consumer sentiment at highest since January work connecting Northern
and Southern California.
PAUL WISEMAN For the first six months of since 2006. The Commerce research note. The other is the privately
AP Economics Writer 2015, consumer optimism Department reported this Americans at all income financed plan in central
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- improved at the fastest week that consumer spend- levels registered improving Texas.
sumer sentiment rose this pace since 2004, three ing rose at an annual pace optimism. California’s long-term fi-
month to the highest level years before the Great Re- of 2.1 percent from January The optimism reflects a nancing plan relies heav-
since January, suggesting cession, said Richard Cur- through March. strong job market. Employ- ily on federal money that
that spending will strength- tin, chief economist for the “After a soft start to the year, ers have been adding jobs is unlikely to materialize in
en this year. Michigan survey. we expect the economy to — nearly 3.1 million over a Republican-controlled
The University of Michigan “An improving economy find its footing in the com- the past year — at a pace Congress. But Democratic
says its consumer senti- was the most important ing months with stronger not seen since the boom Gov. Jerry Brown remains
ment index rose to 96.1 this component,” Curtin said. consumer spending seen to years of the late 1990s. Un- a strong supporter, negoti-
month from 90.7 in May. The He said the readings are be a key driver of acceler- employment stood at 5.5 ating a dedicated funding
June reading was the high- consistent with a 3 per- ating (economic) growth,” percent in May, down from stream through a separate
est since January’s 98.1. The cent increase in consumer Gregory Daco, head of U.S. 6.3 percent a year earlier. program that raises money
index is up from 82.5 a year spending this year. That macroeconomics at Ox- Wages have been slower from businesses as part of
ago. would be the fastest pace ford Economics, wrote in a to improve.q an effort to reduce green-
house gas emissions.q
