Missouri High Speed Rail: Mission Impossible? | Part II

In part one of this three-part series we looked at the state’s infrastructure and decided to build a high speed rail line between Kansas City and St. Louis. Let’s continue.

Now that we have funded the track, let’s talk about operating the trains: Could a high speed train be operated and maintained profitably? There are two possibilities: Amtrak could buy and operate HSR trains, or the State of Missouri could issue an RFP for a private company to operate the trains on their track. This model is already being used in Europe and Asia. Private operators pay a user fee to operate their trains on government-built tracks.

But for now, let’s put Amtrak in charge and do a little math.

{Concept Amtrak River Runner high speed train on dedicated track}