How much would it cost to upgrade the rail network?

Question

How much would it cost to upgrade the rail network? Let's say every freight railroad that is used by Amtrak is upgraded with an additional mainline track. How much would that cost? Do you think there would be much benefit?

Answer 1

This a HUGE question !! Rango points out a nice baseline-figure... $1 million a mile.  Add to THAT another $1 million a mile for the legal B.S. like Environmental Impact Reports.

An interesting source is the CA High-Speed Rail Authority ( http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/ ).  They've been in place for 11 years now and have done NOTHING but planning and EIR / EIS work...  the CURRENT proposal has a estimated implementation budget of $24 BILLION.

Here is a SAMPLE of the money involved: The 2007-08 enacted state budget provides $20.7 million to continue project implementation. Of this $3.5 million are local funds provided by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) towards the preparation of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project-Level EIR/EIS. The 2007-08 funding supports the preparation of a project financial plan, project management activities, identification of critical rights-of-way acquisitions and the continuation of detailed project design and related environmental studies. However, bond funding for the project must still be authorized by voters in 2008. A $9.95 billion dollar bond measure is on the November 2008 ballot with $9 billion for implementing high-speed rail and $950 million for improvements to other rail services that connect to the high-speed rail service. This bond measure requires a simple majority vote for approval.

Answer 2

It would definitely be cheaper than upgrading our freeway network.  I think it would be beneficial if we could find the will to do it.

Answer 3

Rango's estimate of $1 million per mile of track in the U.S. is pretty close - that is if we are talking freight.  

Now if you want to haul passengers at high speed like Amtrak does in the Northeast Corridor, electrification is a must.  Now the cost goes up to $8 million per mile.  Let's see, if you want to build one track between Chicago and Denver, it would be about $10,000,000,000.  Smart investment?

Probably not.

Answer 4

Billions $$$$$$ Benefit?  Well I'm no flaming environmentalist but if we are truly past peak oil then we may have no choice.... Rail is more efficient than tractor trailer trucks and can move mass amounts of people more efficiently..

Answer 5

If they did any serious upgrading, they would probably go ahead and upgrade to MagLevs.  Or they should, anyway.  The first bit of it would probably be a couple billion.

Answer 6

Does it really matter. This country will never do anything about it. As far as the statement that it moves items more effectively than trucks. Not even close. There are so many places the trains just don't go to.It's not even a close comparison.

Answer 7

Over Easter Nework Rail carried out 30 Major upgrades to the railway network in the UK and it cost £75,000,000 & there was 6000 people involved.

Kings Cross Station & Birmingham New Street Stations are getting rebuild & they are costing £1Billion combined,& then there is the Thameslink Project that is costing £3.5 Billion pounds, and they are just a couple of project that I know of.

As for in the USA I am not sure of the costs there, but I am sure that the major projects that I have listed here in the UK gives you an idea of how much it costs.

Joolz

Answer 8

Railroad track costs roughly a million dollars a mile to build.

That would only be necessary in the areas of high traffic. Most areas where Amtrak runs does not have the traffic density to really need that.

Far better to upgrade more lines to handle frieght and Amtrak and add more routes.

Ridership is up in every sector of Amtrak, proving beyond doubt that people will ride given the opportunity.