The travel solution for our time 1 High-Speed Rail at Amtrak Frank Vacca, Chief Engineer June 24, 2011

The travel solution for our time 2 Rail Resurgence Record ridership Record revenues 19 months of month over month improvement Fuel costs climbing Favorable transportation and energy policies HSR excitement

The travel solution for our time 3 HSR Opportunities in America Florida – Project Cancelled California – 220 mph – 800 mile network – $3.5B in HSIPR grants – ($45B investment) Midwest (Midwest Regional Rail Initiative) – $1.1B grant - St. Louis-Chicago line (110 mph) Northeast Corridor (NEC) Operating Today – Next Gen-HSR plan – Stair-step approach

The travel solution for our time 4 2 nd largest mega-region in the world Economic and political capital of the Americas Population density =/> Europe and 12 times US average 457 route miles 12 states, DC 8 commuter operators Class 1 and regional freight Amtrak high speed, regional, long-distance 8 airports 12 ports 50 million people (Northeast megaregion) Northeast Corridor – Regional Overview

The travel solution for our time 5 NEC Master Plan NEC Commission sponsored: NEC Master Plan ($52 Billion) - Goals – Corridor to state-of-good repair – 2030 planning horizon – Maximize capacity and travel times in corridor – Continued shared-use railway operation (freight, commuter, regular and high-speed) Existing Master Plan (2030) 2:42 2:15 3:35 3:08 NYC - DC NYC - BOS Travel Times

The travel solution for our time 6 Northeast Corridor Amtrak Ridership Growth Under Master Plan +35% +33% +10% +8% Capacity- Constrained Growth By 2030 Under NEC Master Plan – Capacity exceeded – Limited ability to: ◦ Increase service ◦ Lower travel times ◦ Attract New Riders NEC intercity travel demand will double by 2050 Other NEC modes have limited growth potential Corridor needs new capacity to compete in worldwide economy

The travel solution for our time 7 Amtrak Next Gen HSR Vision World-Class High-Speed Network – Dedicated 2-track alignment – 220 mph equipment – 40% - 60% travel-time reductions in key markets – Boston–Washington DC: from 6:30 to 3:20 NYC - DC NYC - BOS Existing Master Plan (2030) 2:42 2:15 3:35 3:08 1:36 1:24 Next-Gen HSR Plan

The travel solution for our time 8 Amtrak Next Gen HSR Vision Rolling Stock – Similar to Acela but 8 vs. 6 cars – 400-passenger capacity – Speeds up to 350 kph – EMU-style distributed power, bi-level consists also possible Infrastructure – Dedicated 2-track system – Minimum 4 tracks at stations (turns & passing moves) – Heavy use of tunnels & structures to meet alignment requirements, minimize impacts

The travel solution for our time 9 Potential Alignments: NY to BOS Challenges Boston to New York alignment poses difficult challenges Capacity limits on New Haven Line Curvature, capacity and environmental concerns on Shore Line (New Haven to MA state line) Analyzed Alignment Diverges north of New Rochelle to serve CT and RI Converges with NEC alignment at Rt. 128 station in MA “Analyzed Alignment’ used for costing and analysis purposes, subject to further analysis in next phase

The travel solution for our time 10 Challenges Utilize existing NEC corridor where possible Providing service to built-up CBD areas in key cities Analyzed Alignment Substantially parallels NEC New stations in Baltimore and Philadelphia more centrally located “Analyzed Alignment’ used for costing and analysis purposes, subject to further analysis in next phase Potential Alignments: DC to NY

The travel solution for our time 11 $117 Billion (in $2010) – Equivalent of $4.7 Billion annually over 25 years of construction – $275 million/mile for infrastructure, stations, facilities – 55 train $51 million each Capital Investment Costs Phasing of Construction – Four phases over the 2015 to 2040 period – Phases 1-3 (2015–2030): New York to Washington – Phase 4 (2024–2040): New York to Boston

The travel solution for our time 12 40% Increase in Acela CapacityAcela II Fleet Doubles Capacity 160 mph Service South of NYC NEC Gateway: Newark to NYC Next Gen HSR MOS: NYC to PHL Next Gen HSR South to Wash D.C. Next Gen HSR North to HartfordNext Gen HSR to Boston NEC Stair-Steps to Next-Gen HSR Vision Fast-Track HSR Program Full Next-Gen HSR Network

The travel solution for our time 13 Initial “Fast-Track” (2022) – “ Gateway” Project from NJ into Moynihan Station – Next-Gen HSR segment Newark to Frankford Junction – Master Plan improvements Philadelphia to Washington, DC “Fast-Track” Segment

The travel solution for our time 14 Gateway Project

The travel solution for our time 15 NEC Gateway: Penn Station & Network Expansion

The travel solution for our time 16 NEC Stair-Step Approach Additional ACELA cars 40% capacity increase Purchase of ACELA II’s

The travel solution for our time 17 Other NEC Approved Projects Maryland Bridge replacement Harold Interlocking – Amtrak bypass track Kingston, RI - passing track construction B&P Tunnel replacement

The travel solution for our time 18 Safer Fast, safe and secure rail travel Fewer highway accidents Greener Reduces energy use, emissions Supports dense, smart urban development patterns Strengthens existing commuter and transit systems and riders Healthier Comfortable, convenient travel supports affordable, livable & sustainable communities Minimize land area needed to meet future travel demand HSR Advantages

The travel solution for our time 19 NEC HSR System Capacity – Up to 50 million annual passengers – Up to 8,000 passengers/hr. in each direction – 2040 service plan = ~25% of capacity Highway Equivalent – 8,000 travelers/hr. = 5,300 cars – Requires 3 highway lanes in each direction Difference – Speed – Direct downtown-to-downtown connection – Less energy and emissions HSR Advantages

The travel solution for our time 20 HSR Factors Market Competition Trip Time – Top speed vs Average speed Service Frequency Incremental vs Greenfield Funding

The travel solution for our time 21 Amtrak HSR Factors Market – One of the most populated corridors in the World Competition – Airlines –Presently have 70% NY to DC and 55% NY to Bos Trip Time –Very sensitive – NY to DC 2hrs / NY to Bos 3hrs –High top speed necessary to meet trip time Frequency –Critical Incremental/Greenfield –Mixed Funding –Varies

The travel solution for our time 22 How Does Speed Influence Cost Up to 110 mph –Wood ties –Cab signal systems/PTC –Grade crossing acceptable –Diesel acceptable 111 to 186 mph –Concrete ties –Catenary –No grade crossings –ROW fencing –No movable bridges -/fixed high level bridges 187 to 220+ mph –Slab Track? –Intrusion systems –Noise mitigation * Higher the speeds the tighter maintenance tolerances leading to higher maintenance costs HSR Funding

The travel solution for our time 23 Thank You