POINT OF VIEW: U.S. HIGH-SPEED RAIL NETWORK--CAN IT HAPPEN?

The United States has given only minimal support to the development of rail passenger service, while actively promoting highway and air intercity transport. This leads one to ask whether some public interest would be served by supporting a substantially increased national rail passenger service, perhaps approaching the scale of that provided in Europe. While this issue has yet to be thoroughly explored, the effort underway to produce a national transportation policy could lay the groundwork for such action. Some key components are examined in this article, including supply-side options, demand-side concerns, and the need for a comprehensive analysis of the future role of high-speed rail passenger service in the United States.