Look at Hartford or most other cities at rush hour. The highways are jammed (especially this winter). The railroad tracks are mostly empty.

New York and Boston investors like to be near their investments. It’s hard, however, to get to most Connecticut cities quickly, either because the highways are highly congested or the train service is inadequate.

The price of oil shot over $100 a barrel in some world markets and briefly in the U.S. following the turmoil in Egypt. The United States must become less dependent on foreign oil.

The inescapable conclusion is that we can and should move more people by rail, both commuter and inter-city high-speed trains. Doing so will use less foreign oil, create less pollution and improve the state’s business connections. More active railroad stations will give cities and towns a focus for less wasteful development. And as an added benefit, it will create a more pleasant travel experience.

Bill Shuster A Welcome Sight

Thus it was encouraging to see U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, the newly appointed chairman of the House railroad subcommittee, come to Hartford recently to express his support for high-speed rail on the New Haven-to-Springfield line as part of a high-speed rail network linking Boston, Montreal, Manhattan,

Article source: http://feeds.stateline.org/~r/StatelineorgRss-Transportation/~3/xPuwYHZTX58/hc-ed-high-speed-rail-0211-20110211,0,2141730.story