The New York Times last week explored the Barcelona-Madrid high-speed train:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/science/earth/16train.html

Some highlights from the article:

·         Since a high-end, high-speed rail connection between Barcelona and Madrid opened in 2008, a 325-mile journey that takes about 6 hours by car can be completed in just 2 hours and 38 minutes, from city center to city center.

·         Two years ago, nearly 90 percent of the six million people traveling between Madrid and Barcelona went by air. But early this year the number of train travelers on the route surpassed fliers, and the trajectory is ever upward.

·         The United Nations has said repeatedly that transportation emissions must be reined in if the world is to successfully combat climate change. Transport emissions in European Union countries grew 26 percent from 1990 to 2007, according to the European Environment Agency. Aviation emissions have grown particularly rapidly, and nowhere faster than in Spain — a premier destination for low-cost airlines — where they more than doubled in that period.

·         In the United States, President Obama has set aside $8 billion in federal stimulus money for investments in high-speed rail, but the money will go to a limited number of states, including Florida, California and Illinois. By 2020 half of Spain’s $160 billion transport budget will go to rail travel.

·         trains require fewer employees and far less costly infrastructure than do planes.

·         Adding to rail’s competitive advantage, European environmental policies are likely to force an increase in airline ticket prices over the next few years. Beginning in 2012, the biggest polluters among the airlines will be required to buy extra credits to “pay” for their carbon dioxide emissions, and the cost will have to be passed on to travelers.

·         For many converts to the AVE, there is simply no going back to flying; they particularly do not miss flight delays and the long lines at airport security checkpoints. The rail tickets remind passengers to be onboard a mere two minutes before departure, and the only security procedure involves passing large suitcases though a scanner

How far behind can Canada be? The Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal route is such an obvious first project for high-speed trains in Canada: Porter’s days will be numbered.

Brian Iler