Union Pacific raises questions about CA bullet train safety
Articles — By forcechange on June 5, 2008 12:51 pm
There is a new hiccup in the drive towards building a high speed rail system in California. Apparently, the Union Pacific railroad recently told the California High Speed Rail Authority that they have “safety and operational” concerns about having the high speed train run so close to their freight trains. (The high speed railway is projected to run alongside some of the Union Pacific right-of-way.) It is unclear whether this is a bargaining ploy by Union Pacific, or a reflection of legitimate safety concerns. Surprisingly, Union Pacific and the Rail Authority only met last month for the first time in two years.
A concern for rail supporters is that any alteration to the proposed course of the railway could result in the need to modify the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). EIRs are extremely expensive to put together and the technical requirements of them can be used by project opponents to create delays through litigation.
Having personal experience in the process of public financing of major projects, it is very concerning to think that the Rail Authority could be forced to alter the currently proposed route, and consequently the EIR. Often times, opponents of construction projects will use EIR requirements as a tool to stall the forward progress of a project. Even if there are no legitimate environmental issues, having to modify an EIR, which requires additional time and money, can create substantial delays that can lead to a loss of financing and an ultimate failure of the project.
It is unfortunate that environmental laws can be used as an obstructionist tool, since it discredits their usefulness as a legitimate means of protecting the environment, and we hope that this does not become the case in this situation.
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This is really low even by the U.P.’s standards………….The damn U.P. always piss’s and moans about passenger service like Amtrak and the various commuter line’s on their rideways, supposedly getting in their freight trains way………….. But, for them to concern themselve’s with something that has absolutely no impact on their operation’s is pure insanity!….. What it obviously comes down to is control, absolutely nothing more. The U.P. doesn’t like the fact that they’re not in control anymore…………..The company officer’s of the U.P. are notoriously nasty excuses for human being’s. So I guess nothing should surprise me………..I think I’ll write a nasty letter the old-fashioned way through the U.S. Mail to their CEO and or Chairman of the Board criticizing their actions as without corperate profits in mind. The best way to get at jerks like this is to claim there strategy won’t make money!