KENNEBEC JOURNAL • May 29, 2023
Following last summer’s chaos in the skies, with nearly 45,000 flights canceled and over 400,000 delayed, transportation experts are urging calm as travelers prepare for a summer of frustration. As the world’s wealthiest nation, if we had a nationwide high-speed rail network, holiday travel would be enjoyable. Instead of driving or flying, you could hop on a high-speed train, zoom across your region with great ease, comfort and peace of mind, and arrive right on time. Not to mention that it would cost less than flying. America’s holiday travel quagmire is a reminder that we are a global laggard when it comes to high-speed rail. Meanwhile, the Chinese have built 26,000 miles of high-speed rail since the mid-2000s, and they are just getting started. ~ Ray LaHood, former U.S. secretary of transportation