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High-speed rail in New York has been a topic that is consistently discussed among legislators, political leaders and in particular, several past governors since the 1990s, but thus far little progress has been made. In his campaign speeches prior to his defeat by Governor George Pataki in 1994, Mario Cuomo promised to bring high speed (maglev) rail up the Hudson Valley and along the Catskill Mountains route.〔(For New York, steel-wheel plus maglev is envisioned - New York State passenger rail upgrades ) Railway Age, Dec, 1993〕 It was not a priority for the subsequent administration. Currently, Amtrak's Acela service between Washington, D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts is available to New York City, but the cities in Upstate New York and Western New York remain isolated from high-speed rail service. Further, destinations outside the New York metropolitan area have experienced delayed service for decades. In some areas, New York State has been quietly endorsing and even implementing rail improvements for years. Frequently cited as a partial solution for Upstate and Western New York's economic stagnation, faster rail transportation between New York City and the rest of the state has been suggested as a way to make rural areas grow into suburban destinations for daily commuters, and easily accessible for businesses to relocate to cheaper real estate. Many politicians also endorse closer ties with destinations in Canada. == History == Rail travel in New York has its roots in the early 19th century. The New York Central water-level route roughly followed the path of the Erie Canal, with four tracks along much of the route. For many years the ''Twentieth Century Limited'' and ''Empire State Express'' services, to Chicago and Buffalo were amongst the fastest trains in the world, with average speeds topping and top speeds reportedly well over . Rail travel largely stagnated in the post-World War II economic boom, as the New York Thruway was built, and then the rest of the highway transportation and suburban lifestyles burgeoned. Nonetheless, rail culture lived on in the New York metropolitan area. It was kept alive by the subway culture in New York City, as well as suburban routes on Long Island and the northern suburbs of the city. The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are the two largest commuter railroads in the United States. New Jersey Transit, which serves New Jersey commuters to Manhattan, Philadelphia, and points within New Jersey, is also a major player in the U.S. commuter rail market. Potential also exists for a high-speed rail line to Montreal, Quebec, Canada along existing train right of way. Interest in updating the state's aging rail infrastructure was sparked in the early 1990s. In the early 1980s the State of New York paid Conrail to install cab signals from Poughkeepise to Hoffmans, west of Schenectady, to allow 110 mph train service. This service actually went into service. In the late 1990s, ground was broken on a new rail station in Rensselaer, at the time reported as the ninth busiest station in the entire United States; federal funding was secured for the project.〔"(Governor Pataki Breaks Ground At New Rensselaer Rail Station )." New York State press release: June 2, 1999.〕 In 2001, the state tested a newly rebuilt Turboliner RTL-III gas turbine trainset capable of reaching .〔"(Governor Announces Successful 125 MPH Run of NY's High Speed Train )." New York State press release: February 23, 2001.〕 In 2004, the Turboliner rehabilitation project had a falling out between Amtrak and New York State and the contractor doing the rehab. After lawsuits were filled, a settlement was reached to liquidate the unfinished Turboliner project. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, New York Governor George Pataki attempted to secure, among other things, a high-speed rail link to Schenectady using federal emergency aid money.〔Haberman, Clyde. "Isn't Heartland Still Part of Homeland?" ''The New York Times'': June 9, 2006〕 From 2004 until 2012, the unused Turboliners sat in storage at a cost of $150,000 per year to the taxpayers until a decision by Governor Andrew Cuomo to liquidate the remaining fleet for scrap metal.〔Virtanen, Michael (May 31, 2012). (NY "trains to nowhere" - a $70M mistake ). ''Associated Press''. Retrieved May 31, 2012.〕 Notably, federal planners identified New York State's Empire Corridor (Buffalo-Albany-New York City) as one of the best-suited for high-speed rail service.〔(http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/201 ), Federal Railroad Administration report; October 21, 2003〕 In 2005, New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno expressed renewed interest in high-speed rail proposed research into high-speed rail development in New York State as part of a plan to boost Upstate New York's economy.〔"(Fast Trains in NY: Slashing Travel Time is Key to Accelerating Upstate Economy )" by Joseph Bruno〕 In addition, the Empire Limited Amtrak service between New York and Albany already has one of the highest levels of ridership outside the Northeast Corridor and Acela lines.〔()〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「New York high-speed rail」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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