CHICAGO - In the next few years, taking a trip to St. Louis may be a lot quicker, thanks to high-speed rail. The federal government is investing nearly $800 million to jump-start high-speed rail projects, and a new report by the Environmental Law and Policy Center says that means thousands of new jobs in the Midwest. It's exciting, said ELPC's President, Howard Learner. "We're now going to see modern, fast higher-speed rail operating between Chicago and Detroit, and Chicago and St. Louis by 2015, 2016, using modern new rail cars that are being assembled in Rochelle, Illinois." He says 84 companies all over Illinois will be making rail cars or components for the cars as a result of investment in high-speed rail. http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/30922-1

FRANCE: SNCF President Guillaume Pepy and Director of the long-distance passenger business Barbara Dalibard unveiled details of the national operator's 'Ouigo' branded low-cost TGV service on February 19. From April 2 Ouigo services will run from Marne-la-Vallée Chessy station on the eastern outskirts of Paris to Marseille and Montpellier. There will be three return services a day and four on Sundays. Tickets can only be booked on line, with fares for the single class priced according to demand and ranging from €10 to €85. Children accompanied by an adult pay a flat fare of €5 and SNCF says that 25% of the seats will be sold at less than €25. Read the full story click on link. SNCF unveils Ouigo low-cost TGV service  - Railway Gazette

Unbelievable footage inside and outside Canada's fastest high speed train UAC CN Turbo Train. We guess the footage is from aroun 1968. Professional British footage. WOW! Just when I thought we had all the professionally shot footage of the Turbo we find this!

After 20 years' delay because of opposition from locals and environmental campaigners, work on the Italian side of a high-speed rail tunnel designed to link Turin with Lyon in France has finally begun. But with protesters in the woods and hills around the site, the Italian army has been brought in to provide security. http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65897000/jpg/_65897390_tunnel_frenchside_afp624.jpg He called my mobile phone sounding a little panicky, shortly before our rendezvous at an anonymous motorway service station in north-west Italy. "We have to change the plan," he blurted. "They've found out you're coming!" This sounded interesting. My run-of-the-mill filming trip to a tunnelling project - albeit the world's most extravagant in ambition, budget and controversy - was turning into a scene from a spy drama. "Who's found out what?" I asked. "The protesters!" he exclaimed. "We can't meet there after

Talgo high-speed trains move step closer to Russian certification - Rail News from rail.co

A recent article in the Toronto Sun by Simon Kent was titled, "Making A Case for High Speed Rail". The on-line version of the article also had a poll asking people, Would you ever use a high-speed rail service between Toronto and Montreal? A resounding 77% of poll respondents stated they would take the high-speed rail if it was quicker than planes. Rail would be significantly quicker once you add in the total time a flight actually takes. (eg: add in airport security issues, travel to airport, wait times at airport, etc.) Only 7% preferred to still drive between the two cities. Paul Langan, Founder of High Speed Rail Canada states, " Although on-line media polls may not be statistically sound, they do give you a snapshot of people's views on subjects. It is clear that poll respondents support the implementation of high-speed rail in from Toronto to Montreal. The Toronto Poll ( (CLICK HERE) results mimic the findings of the EKOS Research Poll on High Speed R

by Simon Kent - Toronto Sun - Canada is a nation built on steel. Big, steel wheels. As early as 1836, when the first public train began running between Saint Jean sur Richelieu and La Prairie near Montréal, rail travel helped Canadians conquer the tyranny of distance.Somehow these mechanical marvels reflected our famous capacity for boundless energy, optimism, hope and sheer hard work. For 150 years and more, tracks were laid east, west, north and south carrying passengers and freight into the farthest corners of Canada.Then we seemed to gradually fall out of love with traveling on ribbons of rail. Permanently. The last effort to try and re-engage train travellers saw the launch of Canadian National’s Turbo Train in 1968. Read the whole article CLICK HERE .

Last Friday, CNN’s Anderson Cooper ran a segment about high-speed rail as part of his “Keeping Them Honest” series. Reporter Drew Griffin did an “exposé” of a Vermont rail project that spent .00006 percent of the federal stimulus money on needed track improvements and came in on time and under budget. Scandal! It amounts to a high-profile smear campaign on the high-speed rail program from a mainstream media source trying to expose government corruption and waste where none exists. Cooper makes it clear they’re going to stay on the story; they already did a similar takedown of the California rail program.   Keeping CNN Honest: 10 Ways Anderson Cooper Got the Rail Story Wrong