220 mph Bullet Train Suggested For Midwest
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new study says a Midwest bullet train could cost more than $83 billion, but it would also run at a speed of 220 mph.
As CBS 2's Kris Habermehl reports, the Midwest has been working on plans to upgrade its current Amtrak system for some time.
A high-speed rail corridor from Chicago to St. Louis is already in the works. Speeds on that line would run up to 110 mph.
But the proposed new bullet train system would run trains at double that speed. It would feature Chicago as the main hub, with routes stretching to Minneapolis, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Cleveland.
The Chicago Tribune's John Hilkevitch says a new study by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association and Siemens Inc. says running trains at speeds slower than 220 mph doesn't make sense, given construction costs and the need to transport passengers in an efficient fashion.
The study says the $83.6 billion cost would be offset by revenues from higher ridership than the 110 mph proposed line, Hilkevitch reported.
The planned bullet trains would run on a dedicated track with no grade crossings, eliminating the risk of cars or pedestrians being hit by the high-velocity trains.
The speed for the bullet trains would work out to about 3 hours between Chicago and any endpoint.
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