Go-ahead for Richmond-to-Raleigh high-speed rail proposal

The US Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia have signed off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Richmond to Raleigh (R2R) passenger rail line along the Southeast Corridor. The completion of the FEIS is one of the final steps necessary before construction of the project can move forward once funding is secured. The 162-mile route between the two cities would utilise existing
September 21, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The 324 US Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia have signed off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Richmond to Raleigh (R2R) passenger rail line along the Southeast Corridor. The completion of the FEIS is one of the final steps necessary before construction of the project can move forward once funding is secured.

The 162-mile route between the two cities would utilise existing and former rail lines for approximately 60 per cent of the route and is planned to be free from at-grade crossings of track and roads. This route is part of a larger multi-state planning effort to provide high-speed passenger service between Washington, D., and Atlanta. In July, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that the Department of Transportation would invest approximately US$1 million to develop a regional long-term vision for the corridor and engage states and stakeholders to help the region form a governance organisation that can sustain planning efforts and implement the vision.

“Without a strong passenger rail system, the Southeast’s growth will be choked by congestion for a very long time,” Foxx said. “North Carolina, Virginia and the Department of Transportation have worked together to bring us closer to high-speed rail connecting Richmond and Raleigh, and I urge everyone involved to continue pushing this effort forward. High-speed rail in this region is not a luxury but a necessity.”

“Today brings us closer to breaking ground on this critical project for one of the fastest growing areas of the country.  The project will improve safety and reliability, reduce the travel time between Richmond and Raleigh, and increase opportunity for jobs and growth in the Southeast,” FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Transport for the North gears up
    January 13, 2015
    UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin attended the inaugural Transport for the North meeting as northern leaders met to discuss their plans to transform the region into a northern powerhouse. The meeting in Leeds heralded the first step of drawing up with the government a comprehensive transport strategy to transform the north’s economic infrastructure and help maximise the region’s growth potential, rebalancing the national economy. As well as examining east-west rail links to better connect the
    Read More
  • Partnerships with Japan, EU Accelerate ITS Development
    December 3, 2012
    According to the Transportation Research Board ITS Committee, international cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) is helping accelerate the research and development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) standards and technologies by fostering collaboration between professionals on three continents. "Through international cooperation, we're able to learn from each other more quickly and with less expense than if we were working on our own," said Jane Lappin, chair of
    Read More
  • Intersection collision avoidance system trial
    January 31, 2012
    Although much of the emphasis of research into intersection management has tended to concentrate on the needs of urban locations, there remain specific issues pertaining to rural intersections which need to be addressed. Here, Rebecca Szymkowski and Greg Helgeson, Wisconsin DOT, Todd Szymkowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Craig Shankwitz and Arvind Menon, University of Minnesota detail progress on an intersection collision avoidance system for more remote locations.
    Read More
  • US DOT issues federal guidance for improving motor vehicle cyber security
    October 25, 2016
    The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is taking a proactive safety approach to protect vehicles from malicious cyber-attacks and unauthorised access by releasing proposed guidance for improving motor vehicle cyber security. The proposed cyber security guidance focuses on layered solutions to ensure vehicle systems are designed to take appropriate and safe actions, even when an attack is successful. The guidance recommends risk-based prioritised ident
    Read More

Highlighted Content