All Aboard! Light Rail, Regional Rail, and High-Speed Rail Chugging Ahead with $67 Billion in Active Projects!

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). In recent years, more and more cities, counties, and states have come to recognize that light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail are key transportation solutions for the future. To that end, those same entities have committed large amounts of their time, energy, and dollars to that future. Currently, there are over $67 billion worth of active light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail projects planned or under construction in North America.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing North American light rail project spending by market region.

This staggering potential investment in the different types of rail solutions that can be possible for a region or a city shows a commitment to the reduction, not only of congestion on our highways, but also of the pollution that has, and still does, plague our cities.

In recent years, the commitment to light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail spending has been on the rise. Each year, increasing amounts of money have been allocated to potential projects all across North America. The state of New Jersey has been one of the nation's most progressive in its approach to light rail and all its potential, having committed to many light rail projects across the state in the last ten years.

However, the spending king in the light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail industry is the state of California. Much of this is due to the proposed California High-Speed Rail Authority's plans for the proposed $25 billion grassroot high-speed rail system that would run from San Francisco to San Diego. This 700-mile project would provide the state with a stable rail system, with trains capable of reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour, to provide easy and quick access to almost all points within the state.

Some other significant projects being planned across North America include a $4.5 billion ARC (access to the region's core) rail expansion by New Jersey Transit, a $4 billion maglev (magnetic levitation) system being planned by the Maryland Department of Transportation, a $3.7 billion Silicon Valley rapid transit corridor planned by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and a $3 billion maglev (magnetic levitation) project planned by the Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.

The aforementioned projects, plus 62 other transportation projects (67 active projects in total) will, if they are approved for construction, be dumping some significant dollars into various local economies in the next few years. Currently, in 2005, there is an estimated $15 billion in projects that should begin construction. In 2006 that number remains somewhat consistent, with $14 billion planned for the year. However, in 2007, the dollar figure takes a large jump, to $37 billion, as the California high-speed project is expected to begin construction. If the industry continues to evolve as it has been in the recent past, the years 2008 and beyond should all prosper, as well.

The light rail, regional rail, and high-speed rail industry is booming right now. All across North America, governments, environmental lobbyists, and individual citizens are all realizing that this industry could have a significant impact on the future of clean transportation for their respective areas of the continent. If the funding can continue to be generated for these projects, then the future will continue to look bright for the industry. The capital investment needed to engineer and construct rail projects should begin to decline as technology is continually improved and updated in the near future. All signs, for the present, are pointing to a very bright future for the industry.

Details on North American rail projects, such as contacts, addresses, phone numbers, and much more can be accessed through Industrialinfo.com's North American Industrial Database. Contact Industrialinfo.com's Member Center at 1-800-762-3361 for more information.

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