railroads
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Why railroads care about coal exports
U.S. rail haul more coal than they do any other commodity. It's no wonder, then, that with domestic coal use declining, railways support coal exports.
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Rail gets a $2 billion shot in the arm from Rick Scott’s rejected funds
Remember when Florida's governor turned up his nose at $2 billion in federal funds for rail projects? Now his loss is everyone else's gain. The Department of Transportation today announced the redistribution of Florida's rejected wealth today, and it looks like Scott's tantrum will mean improved speed and performance in the Northeast Corridor, a high-speed […]
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Watch Amtrak’s coverage shrink over time
Amtrak just had its 40th birthday, and like many 40-year-olds, it is a diminished version of what it once was. It's still hanging on, and some lines have even been restored over time, in part thanks to the efforts of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (who made these maps for Greater Greater Washington). But […]
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China may have bankrupted itself building high-speed rail
We're all about high-speed rail, but not if it's going to bankrupt the world's second largest economy. Zhao Jian, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University and a longtime critic of high-speed rail, said he worries that the cost of [the country's high speed rail] project might have created a hidden debt bomb that threatens China’s […]
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Republican governors just love saying no to rail
Photo: Tim GilliamTurning down federal money for rail projects looks like it’s turning into a badge of honor for Republican governors. Chris Christie has done it in New Jersey. Scott Walker has done it in Wisconsin. John Kasich has done it in Ohio. Now Florida’s Rick Scott, a Tea Party favorite, has jumped on the […]
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We need trains to 'win the future' — so get over that deficit hysteria
High-speed rail does not materialize with the snap of a finger or the uttering of inspiring words in a State of the Union speech. It costs public money.
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William Lind makes a conservative case for public transit (just not buses)
William Lind thinks Republican politicians should be supporting public rail transit because it makes sense for their affluent (and mostly white) constituency. He also says white conservatives are "not going to be comfortable" on city buses where they are "surrounded by blacks and Hispanics."
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Energy politics in the Senate: why Merkley’s oil plan matters
This morning Sen. Jeff Merkley will introduce “America Over a Barrel: Solving Our Oil Vulnerability” (PDF) [UPDATE: video below], a policy plan devoted to reducing oil use, at an event at the Center for American Progress. I think it could make a big difference in the debate. To understand why, let’s back up and have […]
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How we can end our addiction to oil
It’s time we moved on to something else, or this is going to kill us. Not only are world oil supplies running out, but what oil is still left is proving very dirty to obtain. We need to kick our oil addiction now if we expect to preserve any hopes of economic prosperity, or unspoiled […]