East Coast Train That Goes 300 MPH Is Awarded Grant
November 08 2015 - 9:10PM
Dow Jones News
The U.S. government has approved the first federal funds for an
ambitious plan to tap Japanese technology for a high-speed train
project that could carry passengers between New York and
Washington, D.C. at more than 300 miles an hour.
The Federal Railroad Administration approved a grant of $27.8
million for the project, which would use magnetic levitation, or
maglev, technology to whisk trains off a guideway and propel them
at faster speeds than those attained by trains with wheels on
rails.
The funds were granted to the Maryland Department of
Transportation and Maryland Economic Development Corporation. The
project is being led by a private organization called The Northeast
Maglev, which is working with railway officials in Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to provide
several billion dollars in financing to partially fund the first
leg of the project, which would connect Washington to Baltimore in
about 15 minutes. The total cost of that portion alone has been
estimated at $10 billion.
Japan plans to deploy maglev technology on a new high-speed line
between Tokyo and Nagoya that is being developed by Central Japan
Railway Co. Test trains have achieved speeds well above 500
kilometers per hour (310 miles an hour).
Officials of The Northeast Maglev say the federal funding will
be used for planning and engineering analysis, environmental and
safety reviews and compliance and permitting reviews, among other
things.
Though high-speed rail projects have struggled to gain a
foothold in the U.S., Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae hailed
the commitment of taxpayer funds—even if only a fraction of the
overall cost—as a milestone.
The project partners will prove this technology "will be a great
asset to the busy Northeast Corridor," he said.
Write to Eric Pfanner at eric.pfanner@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 08, 2015 21:55 ET (02:55 GMT)
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