High Speed Rail Will Improve Freight Railroads

The latest and silliest argument being advanced by high speed rail opponents is that the building of high speed rail lines will somehow ruin America’s very successful freight railroad system. Nothing could be further from the truth: a properly built high speed rail system would make the freight rail system faster and more efficient.

The building of dedicated high speed lines for passenger trains would get hundreds of passenger and commuter trains off the rails used by freight trains. This would make more room for the freight trains and eliminate the delays that commuter and passenger trains cause for freight trains.

In our present system, freight trains often have to stop and wait for passenger and commuter trains. If the passenger and commuter trains were using separate high speed tracks these delays could be eliminated.

There is also no reason why freight trains couldn’t use new high speed rail lines. If the rails were the same width, most of the freight trains operating in the United States today could run on high speed rail lines. Even if high speed trains and freight trains couldn’t share the same track there’s no reason why freight track and high speed train tracks couldn’t be built on the same roadbed.

Using the high speed track would make the freight trains faster because of the nature of the high speed lines. High speed trains run special roadbed that’s like an interstate highway for trains. That is it is grade separated so cars don’t cross the tracks, which can cause accidents and delays. Such track is usually straighter so it allows for higher speeds.

Another way high speed rail would make freight rail better is that it would allow many freight trains to be pulled by electric locomotives. Most American trains are pulled by diesel locomotives because most American rail lines are not equipped for electric locomotives. Electric locomotives are cheaper than diesel locomotives to operate and they don’t run on imported oil like diesel locomotives do.

It also goes without saying that high speed rail lines could also be used by high speed freight trains. These could be used to move a lot of freight that is now moved by air or truck and reduce our oil imports even farther.

Most of the packages that UPS, Fedex, and similar services now ship by air could be moved by high speed freight trains. This would reduce both shipping costs and oil usage and make our economy more efficient. Other items that could be shipped via high speed freight trains include fruit, vegetables, food, electronics, electronic parts and luggage.

An interesting use of high speed trains would be to ship air passengers’ luggage. Airlines are constantly restricting luggage and charging more for luggage. A business that ships air passengers’ luggage or excess luggage on a high speed train could be profitable.

There of course will be thousands of other items that could be shipped by high speed rail. Once high speed rail is built it will not take for American entrepreneurs to think up hundreds of new ways of taking advantage of it. Many of these ways will involve the shipment of freight over high speed rail.

The critics are wrong, properly constructed high speed rail lines would improve America’s freight railroad system and make America more competitive economically.