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RAIL FUNDING gested transportation system. This is at the heart of discussions over HSR. In 2009, the launch of a High-Speed In- tercity Passenger Railway (HSPIR) pro- gram was launched. Dubbed the most ambitious transportation program since President Eisenhower's Inter- state Highway System in the 1950s, the HSPIR plan made some early progress, with approximately $10 billion in fed- eral grant money distributed to date.3 But, the huge cost involved in fi nanc- Amtrak outlined plans for a partly brand new and partly re-engineered, 426-mile, Northeast Corridor running from Boston to Washington, D.C. (rendering shown.) ing HSR has proved to be a stumbling block, particularly in light of renewed calls for reduced government spending. Outside the U.S., a number of coun- tries, including France, Germany, Spain, China and Taiwan, have launched HSR investment programs to help solve some of their longer-term transporta- tion challenges. Many argue that their economic growth and competitiveness depend, to a large degree, on the ef- fectiveness of their transport networks and are subsequently investing in HSR. But, as much of the investment is still ongoing, the economics of these proj- ects are still being scrutinized. Much of this investment is predi- cated on a number of arguments: that compared to road travel, HSR wins out for speed, effi ciency, comfort and safe- ty; it represents a viable "green alterna- tive," with a signifi cantly lower carbon footprint than alternative transport methods; and, crucially, it provides a >> continued on pg. 80 Saving You Fuel and Money. Voith SensoTop Whether your bus is going uphill or downhill, fully loaded or empty: SensoTop delivers optimum driving performance and reduced emissions while providing fuel savings of up to 5 %. Ask Voith how SensoTop's innovative shift management can help you start saving today! For more information: brian.sharp@voith.com www.usa.voithturbo.com 76 < mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 metro-magazine.com