http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-high-speed-rail-20100612,0,5073909.story

Schwarzenegger seeks to create high-speed demonstration train between L.A. and San Diego

The governor proposes that a train be set up by November, before he leaves office, to give commuters a taste of European-style fast rail travel. Skeptics say extensive upgrades must first be made.

By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times

June 12, 2010

It could be years before sections of the planned California high-speed rail project can be completed. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn"t want to wait that long to give the state a taste of the European-style system.

The governor has proposed to the federal government that a demonstration project be set up on the rail link between San Diego and Los Angeles, one of the busiest commuter corridors in the nation. He would like it in place by November, two months before he leaves office.

The intercity line would go much slower than the proposed 220 mph bullet train. However, transportation officials say it would probably go a bit faster than conventional trains and make the trip between San Diego and Los Angeles in 2 hours and 10 minutes — about 50 minutes faster than driving during peak travel times.

“Californians need to see and experience something that is “high-speed-rail” sooner than 2020,” Schwarzenegger wrote in his proposal, which was sent to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood earlier this month.
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Federal Railroad Administration officials said the agency would review the governor"s idea. They declined to comment further, saying they had just received Schwarzenegger"s letter.

“This will stimulate dialogue and discussions with the federal government,” said Art Leahy, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “As a concept, it"s attractive, but we need to put flesh and bones on it to see if it will work.”

Much still needs to be determined, such as the cost, what agency would pay for it, the type of train to be used, how long the demonstration project would last and its overall feasibility.

For the train to operate in the corridor, its schedule would have to be coordinated with busy commuter and freight lines that ply the route. Waivers would be required from federal regulators because of current track conditions, the lighter construction of European trains, numerous railroad crossings and the lack of an automated train control system that could apply the brakes in an emergency.

Amtrak, Metrolink and commuter lines in San Diego County, such as the Coaster, can go up to 125 mph, but because of the corridor"s proximity to homes and businesses, the maximum speed is no more than 90 mph. Unless some track improvements are made, the European trains that Schwarzenegger wants to import would have to perform similarly.

“This is a very congested area. You need grade separations and barriers to speed up the existing system,” said Keith Millhouse, board chairman of Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates Metrolink. “You just can"t throw equipment on there and crank it up.”

Skeptics of the idea say the project might not demonstrate high-speed rail"s capabilities and is too ambitious to do in five months, especially if extensive improvements turn out to be needed to accommodate the train.

“This will not be high-speed rail,” said Jim Mills, a former state senator who helped create commuter rail service between San Diego and Los Angeles. “The difference in the running time compared to conventional equipment might only be a few minutes. And, if one of these lighter European designs derails or hits a gravel truck on the tracks, it will be a catastrophe.”

Others pointedly questioned the governor"s motivation beyond his long-time support for high-speed rail.

“What hit me first about this was the desperation of having a ribbon-cutting shortly before the governor leaves,” said Rich Tolmach of the California Rail Foundation. “They"ve realized there"s no legacy for the governor.”

High-speed rail proposals around the country also are under pressure to show the Obama administration the benefits of improved rail service paid for with economic stimulus funds.

The California high-speed rail project recently was awarded $2.25 billion by the federal government, and officials hope to gain more assistance in the future. Under federal requirements, California"s environmental reviews must get underway by September 2011 and construction must proceed a year later.

Some local transportation officials say the point of the demonstration is not to show off the train"s speed, although there will be an effort to look for areas of the line where it can go faster than conventional service. Instead, they say, travelers would have the chance to experience an express service between two major cities and ride in European-style trains like those that would operate on the planned California system.

“The idea is to bring in new equipment and let people get used to it,” said Will Kempton, the chief executive officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority and the former head of the California Department of Transportation. “We are pretty intrigued about it.”

If approved, Kempton said, the demonstration project could lead to substantial improvements in the corridor that would enhance safety and allow conventional trains to also go faster.

Transportation agencies have worked for years to achieve that goal. The effort was frustrated by the governor late last year, when he scuttled the state"s application for $1.1 billion in federal funds for the corridor and ordered state officials to seek funding for only the high-speed rail project.

As a further benefit, Kempton said the project might show that high-speed trains can share the route with existing conventional trains. If so, it could save billions of dollars in costs to build a separate right-of-way for high-speed rail between Anaheim and Los Angeles. The California High-Speed Rail Authority is now considering whether to study the shared-use concept.