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The Chinese are going to bid for the contract to build the U.S. high speed rail system. "China has built 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) of high-speed rail for its own train system and President Barack Obama issued a pledge in November with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, to cooperate in developing the technology.
"We are organizing relevant companies to participate in bidding for U.S. high-speed railways," Wang Zhiguo, a deputy railways minister, told a news conference."
OK, we won’t discuss why the president made that statement to the Chinese (considering the amount of intellectual property that has probably been sucked up by the well-organized hacking operations in China over the past several years, I’m not sure we really have to "cooperate" in order to develop the technology since they’ve probably stolen it electronically already, but I digress), but I’d like to offer a suggestion to anyone looking for a reason to write their Congress critters:
1) The Chinese have not awarded a non-Chinese company any contracts for any of their big infrastructure projects. Not wind energy, not high speed rail, not roads, nuthin. Remember – they have national industrial policy and it is NOT to give any other country’s companies any opportunities in China. As a matter of fact, U.S. wind energy companies who tried to participate in the bidding for that system complain that the Chinese gave contracts to companies that were created expressly for the purpose of bidding – that were brand new, had no experience or technology in wind energy to offer, but had the one thing that counted: they were Chinese.
2) If we give the Chinese the contract for this – not only with U.S. taxpayer dollars leave the country, but we have no guarantee that anything will be built here. Shipped here, certainly but not built here.
3) This will probably be the biggest (and perhaps the last) big rail project that the U.S. will ever see. We have companies in this country in that business, whether it’s for rail engines, rail cars, or steel.
US Companies Want In On Rail
Some of the companies are like GE, which builds locomotives and already is ramping up to build a new engine that can reach high rates of speed. We have rail car companies (some U.S.-owned; some like Alstom and Bombardier which are French-owned) which already are building and also ramping up. If the United States is ever going to save its industrial (and, shall we also point out, union-supported middle class jobs) infrastructure, this project is the cornerstone. The Chinese don’t need this project – they are already building rail systems in places such as Turkey. We actually do need this project and we need to support the advancement of U.S. industrial infrastructure to do it.
So, I’m writing to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and my Congressman – how about you?
77 Comments
Actually the Japanese are the best equipped to proved the knowledge necessary to build a high speed rail network. Where to you think the Chinese got their knowledge from?
Seriously. Keep these jobs in America, that’s the whole point!
This probably doesn’t make my favorite senator look very good but I wrote Russ Feingold last year about converting the closed Janesville GM plant so it can make the high speed rail cars and engines.
I enclosed an article about how the work was being outsourced to Asia or Europe.
He replied a few months later about something completely different (not even same topic).
Well, go figure.
HuffPo had a pretty good article on HSR:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/11/8-of-the-worlds-most-popu_n_491951.html#s73111
Why can’t you find out who is actually in charge of awarding the contracts so we can go after them? None of the articles I’ve read have specific information. I’d love to contact someone and complain–if I knew who.
If we are incapable of building and maintaining our own infrastructure, then we are doomed.
I’m not at all opposed to collaboration with other nations but if we just hand this project off entirely then we are crippling ourselves.
The boys in Washington need to straighten thier toupee’s and forget all about this “free trade” and “comparative advantage” nonsense.
Yes, this is really not about high speed rail – it’s about the survival of the United States as an economy. And it’s also about the issue of companies investing in technology for their competitive advantage. US shoe manufacturers didn’t bother – they sent their manufacturing to places like China and the Chinese came up with the systems and equipment to do the job faster and more efficiently (whether the world needs shoes that are glued together and can’t be repaired is another issue). US (and the rest of the world as well)clothing manufacturers, in general, did not invest in technology – they just shipped it overseas and they paid for it. The list goes on and on. It’s not that the industries in the United States could not have come up with new equipment and manufacturing systems to bring down the time it takes to make something – they just chose not to because sending manufacturing overseas saved them money two ways: they did not have to invest and they got the cheap labor. They sold out American workers and American communities for that. And in doing so, they helped to produce a situation (and again, I don’t entirely blame US companies for just taking advantage of laws that were passed over the past 30 years which promoted their doing this. Ronald Reagan et al. encouraged US industry to abandon us)where basically the country is almost on its knees.
It’s time for US industry to stand up and fight – not only for themselves but for the rest of us as well.
Yup, I agreed.
But in this area I tend to point the finger at Bush Sr and Clinton for thier trade agreements.
Reagan talked free trade and he certainly was a union buster but… in practice Reagan wasn’t afraid to slap on tariffs and import quotas.
Hey Toby,
Re: Your reference to Bombardier as “French-owned”
Bomabardier is technically a Canadian company, although it is truly a “gobal” company in the sense that it has no national allegiance (sort of like GE).
They have an aircraft production facility in Wichita, KS and have recently been in a beef with the International Association of Machinists about moving American jobs to Mexico.
Bombardier has provided high-quality transportation equipment to the US market in the past. I think the NYC subway system is still running some Bomardier cars they bought back in the 1980s.
Yes, now that I recall, you are correct that Bombardier is Canadian – I was thinking about the Acela project – Alstom is French. My error and thanks for pointing that out. Bombardier has taken some of the design work that they did for the Acela and has worked with that for their Jettrain(tm). I did not know NYC subway ran Bombardier cars – I thought they used Alstom cars and that Bombardier was strictly Acela but I’m not very familiar with the MTA. They have production facilities in my state (as does Alstom).
Is it me or is Obama just stupid? Why would he give a contract to another country when EVERYONE knows that we need jobs here????????????????????????????????
Is it just me or is everyone else tired of stating the obvious?
I don’t think anybody is suggesting that Obama gave the Chinese any contracts. What Obama has apparently done is given assurances that the Chinese will be allowed to bid these projects, free from unfair restrictions or unfair competition.
Hi Toby. Great diary. Here is a very relevant Dkos diary from a few weeks ago.
Speaking of China …
With regard to the March 13, 2010 article, “China meddles in Portland’s proclamation of March 10 as Tibet Awareness day.“, apparently “China is the state’s biggest foreign customer, snapping up nearly $3 billion of Oregon goods last year.”
According to an article in today’s Oregonian:
“On Monday [March 8, 2010], the Chinese deputy consul general and his staff flew up from San Francisco to meet with Adams and city Commissioner Randy Leonard, who drafted the proclamation.
The deputy consul asked Adams and Leonard to rescind the proclamation; they denied the request. He asked them to cancel a public gathering at City Hall planned Wednesday for Tibetans. That, too, was declined.”
On Thursday March 11, 2010, China Daily states:
‘While many in the international community are watching with anxiety to see if Washington moves to repair its ties with Beijing, a reckless decision by an American city is rubbing salt into the unhealed wound of the world’s most important bilateral relations.
The city of Portland, Oregon, proclaimed Wednesday, March 10, their “Tibet Awareness Day” despite strong opposition from the Chinese government.
While most people and most countries in the world recognize Tibet as part of China, the decision by the American city interferes in China’s internal affairs and is an open defiance of China’s state sovereignty.
It could have an adverse effect on Sino-US relations, which has yet to recover from major deterioration following Washington’s $6.4-billion arms sale to Taiwan and US President Barack Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama.
The designation of the “Tibet Awareness Day” was apparently orchestrated by the Dalai Lama clique, which has been engaged in activities aimed to separate China and undermine Tibet’s stability in the guise of religion.
It is still beyond our belief that politicians in Portland have chosen to celebrate a handful of fanatics trumpeting Tibet independence while turning a blind eye to either history or the status quo of present-day Tibet. History has told us that Tibet has always been a part of China, and there is ample evidence proving the fact that Tibetan people now enjoy a much better life and enjoy the full freedom of religion.
Americans are well-known for putting individual freedom above everything. While the city of Portland entertains a few Tibet separatists, has it ever occurred to its decision-makers that their move are infringing on the interest of 2.8-million Tibetans here in China?’
Yea, it’s a no-brainer that the US HSR should be built by Americans for Americans “in house” here in the US of A. We need to put the planners, designers, engineers, machinists and the host of other Americans required back to work planning, implementing and maintaining the system.
~~~ModNote: The use of the block-quote function (in the tool-bar) will allow easy reading of comments that contain both quoted material and original content.~~~
Danke, TheLurkingMod, and I hope you will accept my proffer of a virtual latte and cantuccini. I fumbled around in the interface unsuccessfully on that one but will try it again as I am excited to use the very kewl quote function.
hey mzchief — i believe the secret is to highlight the section ya want block quoted and then click on the ” in the tool bar
Isn’t building railroads what imperial colonizers did after they conquered territory?
USA has satisfied Canadian government that the buy usa policy will not affect canada us trade.
WTF is this payment for China buying our debt?
Foreigners are building those Nuclear Plants Obama wants approved too.
China got there high speed rail tech from Germany sure they can build it cheaper but the whole point of this is to stimulate OUR economy not China’s.
Also notice the plans for high speed rail in America its a slower system than what Europe or Japan can build but its something China can build.
In Chicago this kind of fixing a bidding contract to make sure that a certain bidder gets it is common place.
I smell Rahm.
Nope the bidding details are rigged to favor China. If we were to build a faster high speed rail China would be out of the bidding all together. I was wondering why the plans for high speed rail were to build a slower second rate system.
Which to be fair is faster than our system.
Its obvious to us but we are political junkies we need to educate the rest of America patience nobody said our job is easy.
Interesting for you to point that out. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/14/china-defends-trade-polic_n_498324.html
“Premier Wen Jiabao took on critics in the West who say Chinese policies lift China while keeping global growth anemic. He defended China’s currency against charges that it is undervalued to boost Chinese exports. He promised that Beijing would import more and urged countries to resist protectionism, saying one country should not seek to disadvantage others during the fragile economic recovery.”
“Turning the tables on the U.S., Wen renewed appeals for assurances from Washington about the safety of China’s $800 billion in foreign exchange reserves invested in U.S. Treasury securities. Wen said the value of the U.S. dollar was a “big concern” and asked Washington to take unspecified steps to reassure investors.”
Not necessarily – GE’s ‘high speed locomotive’ plans are going to go 124 mph, if memory serves…
Yes– my thoughts as well.
And it’s funny that we (the taxpayers) own GM and other car companies in Detroit yet we have to go to China for our high-speed trains.
Which is why I am encouraging everyone to write/call/fax their senators and congress critters to protest. We have plenty of companies already here, employing Americans, in good paying jobs, to do this project. And no, I do not find it acceptable to do some sort of ‘partnership’ where Chinese ‘technology’ is used and brought over here. We need to develop and protect our own technology. Since when is it written that the United States is a colony of China?
Since the recent year that China bought all the US debt. We have been enslaved.
Curious about China’s error rates, accident rates, performance measures. There’s the obvious job protection issues but also there’s quality, testing, and performance. Even if the US decided to go offshore for the contracts, how does China measure up? And what about the next gen technology? Aren’t there lessons learned and progress since China’s implementation?
Well, China doesn’t own ALL the US debt – Japan owns a whole lot of it also.
The US’ policy is to get China to spend it’s US dollars in the US.
If that requires creating jobs in China, thet’s the price a debtor pays for the terms of the loan.
Under no circumstances should the US be farming the building of our national infrastructure out to offshore labor and foreign businesses. The US government needs to invest the US public money into … the US. Meaning, yes, you heard it, UNION WAGES and AMERICAN WORKERS.
(Why does the US government hate America?)
Ding, exactly. And, just to make a connection: Would you trust the manufacturing of components that would be running and running on a high speed rail system to a country where they can’t even control the doping of dairy products and accept children dying from melamine poisoning?
The high speed trains in China are pretty nice though not as fast as advertised (at least so far). I’ve taken the one from Beijing to Qingdao a couple of times as they were shaking out the service before the Olympics, and it’s a good fast ride (half the usual time). They give you a bottle of water from Tibet when you start, but slap your hand if you ask for another. Tempted to wear my ‘Free Tibet’ t-shirt, but I like to limit my stays in China to a week or so.
Yes, it might take a while to get out with that…
Definitely I have developed a high level of burnout communicating just how terribly dysfunctional the USG is, just how abysmal Obama is turning out to be, just how utterly craven and corrupt the Congress is, just how greedy and piggish the plutocracy here is, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. …
I have a feeling I am going to just reclaim a good amount of my time and mental landscape by just tuning out all these issues soon enough. It really is getting close to the time to conclude that the US is ungovernable, that the plutocracy cannot be put on a leash through any normal means, and that it is best for the individual to simply give up all hope and accept a very cynical reality.
My position on this is pretty black and white (guess you can tell) — either we just lay down and allow our entire industrial infrastructure to disappear (and all the jobs with it) or we don’t. It’s ridiculous for us to take this ‘free market’ position when US companies are trying to compete with countries with a national industrial policy that appears to include industrial/commercial/governmental cyber-espionage. Given the behavior of the Chinese – it really seems to be an ‘either/or’ position.
Maintain the murder of the middle class while fixing the infrastructure?
All
politics iscontracts should be local. No brainer.It isn’t about short term cost but the long term survival of our economy.
I sure wouldn’t, however, I don’t get any sense from the USG or American industry that the issue with Chinese production is stuff like melanine-doped baby milk. The goal of the US plutocracy is to lower the production costs of the economic system it rides on to make its money, because the resulting excess profit goes right into their pockets. Costs like oops a bunch of people will eventually get killed when a high-speed train derails years from now or oops the system become unmaintainable when relations with China sour and we don’t have any parts or production systems ourselves to keep up the train are externalized costs to the plutocracy. What we are seeing is “long term societal planning done by self-serving plutocrats looking for the biggest and shortest term profit to themselves”.
They don’t hate us, they just consider us to be suckers. And since the crash, they have to move on to those who have $$– namely China.
Toby– you’re right, we definitely have to write our congresspersons and get them to put up a fight. And Obama is OUT in 2012– that’s for damn sure.
In other words-the same old fuckery.
The Fed and other US banking institutions more US debt than is owed to China and Japan combined.
This article is a pretty good explanation of what’s wrong with saying “China has enslaved us”. China has effectively been giving us steep discounts on its production, and at some point they will be paying for this in China.
Sure why the hell not give these jobs away too? China is already eating our lunch on green jobs and everything else. We can’t even make the uniforms the military wears anymore. To paraphrase (Will Rogers?), we’ll just all make a living cutting each others’ hair and doing each others’ laundry.
Unbelievable!
Amen, Toby. We can do this ourselves. And China plays by different rules.
Agreed. And Honda… oops I meant Japan… is a lesson for us. Prius, anyone?
Learning from other peoples’ expertise shouldn’t mean ceding the project to them. I say that we learn the lessons from other nations but keep the innovation here.
Three words low cost bidder.
A columnist in Automobile magazine recently asked why GM can’t convert to a rail, as they did from cars to tanks in 1942.
My bold any guesses which unspecified steps would reassure China?
Thats Toyota
One of my biggest beefs is that technology developed here (and in some cases supported to a certain extent by National Science Foundation money, which means US taxpayers), has ended up in the hands of out-of-the-country interests as sales or transfers. I’m not even talking about what has been happening now (and has been now publicized in the media)about well-organized hacking teams located in China just breaking into government agencies all over the world, the military, commercial and industrial firms and ‘hoovering up’ everything from the source code up. I get pretty testy about selling ‘assets’ that actually in a way are part of US technology. But again, now they don’t have to actually buy the technology – they are hacking it, or taking technology that is being used over there by subcontractors and knocking it off or whatever.
Then in the RFP, it has to be stated that the bid will not necessarily be awarded to the low cost bidder.
Well, I’m sure they’d just like some sort of ‘partnership’ agreement on doing the high speed rail system…just like the wind energy thing.
Yep, they are without scruple. But first Poppy and then baby Bush mortgaged our futures to them so we turn a blind eye to the wholesale thievery going on.
“One of my biggest beefs is that technology developed here (and in some cases supported to a certain extent by National Science Foundation money, which means US taxpayers), has ended up in the hands of out-of-the-country interests as sales or transfers.”
Globalization. And as such, does it really matter that much, considering that ‘our’ Pharmaceutical Industry is beholden to investors, who for all intents and purposes may, hypothetically, all be foreign?
Fixed:
it has to be unstated that the bid will
notnecessarily be awarded to thelow cost bidderhighest briberOne person’s terrorist group is another person’s national liberation struggle. Will leave it for history to decide which label is most correct for Irgun. The following quote in Foreign Policy uses the term terrorist group. Others may disagree. The quote might be of interest to those unaware of this aspect of Rahm Emanuel’s family history.
Rahm did publicly disavow the quote from his father.
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2008/11/07/rahm_emanuel_and_israel
Actually, I think it started before that. I think some people connect the start with the US getting off the gold standard in 1973 during the Nixon Administration. I believe a lot of this had to do with the push during the Reagan years to encourage companies to move manufacturing out of the country. I think it can also be attached to the big growth push by WalMart – and their bullying tactics with companies that want to sell through them. There are a lot of forces that have combined to bring us to the point where we are today.
I am not sure that I would favor limiting the bidding to US companies. Why should we give GE a free ride?
I would favor a requirement that the manufacturing and fabrication be done in the US. These are supposed to stimulus projects after all. And I think if the US manufacture/fabrication requirement were applied to all bidders, then it would pass the the “free trade” test.
The US is surely geographically big enough to support a state-of-the-art train industry. We’re probably a couple of decades behind Germany, Japan, France and China in terms of rail tech, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. A strong federal round of seed/venture money and evangelism can make it happen.
And there is still a lot of domestic mechanical and transportation expertise (in The Motor City, for example) that could be well leveraged in a nationwide rail initiative.
Sure, we’ll probably have to stand on the shoulders of the giants (Germany and Japan) in the beginning, but we will catch up I’m sure.
There is a seriously awesome high-speed* rail “Golden Spike moment” waiting to be realized/exploited by some future president. Because any serious HSR initiatives are unlikely to pass through the current Congress (the pork-gathering and greed-seeking alone will take at least a year to complete) that Pres is unlikely to be even a two-term Obama. But he could get it started. Petraeus-Romney will need something to distract the
rubespopulace in year 2 of their administration.* And please, “high-speed” according to worldwide standards, 200+km/h. There are usually slower segments, even with the TGV, Shinkansen or the (German-built) China Maglev, but come on!
Book Salon up at the Mothership with Amy Goodman’s Breaking the Sound Barrier hosted by Sara Robinson
Since the year Corporate Persons bought the US Congress we have been enslaved.
FYI — The US Navy does not even allow “low cost bidder” to be the sole determinant of which bidder gets the big contracts. In many cases, the contracting officers are given wide latitude to determine the “best value” for the Navy.
But I would not suggest that we copy Pentagon contracting practices when building high-speed rail. Anybody remember $600 toilet seats?
The DoD does that (not just the Navy) because they’ve been badly burned over the years by contractors “buying the contract” with absurdly low bids.
So they make it the lowest “responsive” bid.
And they reach the $600 toilet seats because the costs of software intensive components on ships and such get spread across ALL of the components.
(Note: I worked directly for the government – Defense Logistics Agency, then as a support contractor for QA for over a dozen years.)
The DoD has indeed been burned by sharp business operators who “game” the acquisition process.
If the US is going to pour billions into a new high-speed rail system, then we should be wary of getting burned in the same process.
and sharonsj @ 4:
dakine01 @ 65:
There is enough expertise in the netroots community to evaluate the specifications and the Request for Proposals put forth by whatever agency is in charge. (Probably from within the Department of Transportation). We have the tools: An incredibly bright and energetic community quite capable of demanding public input all the way through the planning process. In short, the process of building High Speed Rail should be completely transparent.
Ditto!
Huh? We havent developed any significant HSR technology here. France (TGV), Japan (Shinkansen), Germany (ICE), Spain (Talgo) are where the HSR technology has been grown for the past 40 years. *Of course* we’re importing the technology from elsewhere. Since Amtrak was created in 1971, it’s mostly been able to buy repurposed freight diesel engines (some of which worked well–F40–and some of which that didn’t–P30s). The successful electric engine technology has been imported from Sweden, and of course, Alstom built the Acela trainsets. None but the Acela even qualified as HSR–and rail people argue whether Acela even counts.
For that matter, we’ve barely built any passenger railcars here in the past half-century. The Budd Company got out of the business after delivering Amfleet equipment in the 1970s, Pullman Standard built the first Superliner order then closed around 79-80. Some of the more recent Amtrak equipment was built by Bombardier: mostly in Canada, then unfinished shells shipped to Vermont for final assembly to meet “buy American” requirements. Kawasaki has built a lot of commuter passenger equipment recently.
As for jobs, DOT has been clear that there will be a significant requirement for equipment to be American built. (Reiterated on Friday by LaHood and the FRA administrator.) I highly doubt it will be the “shell-game” (pun intended) Bombardier participated in on the Superliner II order to meet “buy American”–that was a small enough order that it was about the only deal Amtrak could get. Now you’ve got companies lining up for the manufacturing business: Siemens, JCRail, Bombardier, Alstom, Talgo, and more.
Just because the U.S. is a global leader in many fields does not mean it is a global leader in this one. We can wait another 40 years, or we can import the technology from somewhere else. All that said–I share your concern about China, its recent tendency towards industrial espionage, and its closed approach to “partnerships”. But I haven’t seen any indication that they are any more than a bit player in this new HSR paradigm–all the others I mention above are much more visible today.
Whose definition of ‘fair’ will be used? The Chinese ‘fair’ seems rather one-sided. Maybe mafia ‘fair’ or military-industrial-complex ‘fair’ is better for American companies & workers!
We need jobs.
The word ‘interferes’ is being used inappropriately. What they mean to say is that Portland is annoying them.
Also, to say the people of Portland are in “open defiance of China’s state sovereignty” is incorrect as China has no sovereignty over the people of Portland.
The Chinese government should make amends for disturbing the relations between our two countries through these scurrilous attacks on Americans, who remain free to speak (or contribute money) as they see fit.
I didn’t grow up yelling, “We’re almost number two. We’re almost number two.” Let’s get this right for America, not everybody else in the world.
Considering the crap the Chinese sell to us all the time I have to wonder if they’re up to intentionally selling lead-based paint without screwing it up.
It would be more urgent for us to do that if we could at least see more freedom for U.S. companies to sell products into China as they have been promised an opportunity to do. Until then we really shouldn’t feel any pressure to trade fairly or respond to their ‘concerns’.
We’ve already helped them develop their economy and produce jobs and that will continue. Right now America needs to fix our economy and produce jobs or we’ll have a harder time paying off Treasury bonds when they come due.
America needs our trading partners to stop lip-synching and start letting American companies sell goods.
Whoops. I hate cars!
Thanks for this. I guess I shouldn’t have learned all I know about China and debt from the MSM. ;)
Guys, there’s a lot of mis-information here. It would help to first learn what’s actually going on before making pronouncements.
All money for high-speed rail projects is being channeled through state department of transportations. There are federal requirements which have already been set which do include a buy American provision. The bulk of the money is going into trackwork, only 1 billion of 8 billion will go for vehicles. The buy America provisions do not prohibit foreign companies from bidding, but they have to do most of their work in the US.
There are currently *no* U.S. companies with a track-record of building passenger rail vehicles in the U.S. Carl Ichan is organizing one company to take advantage of this new spurt in business, which has taken over the designs of a defunct specialty firm and arranged to have a freight car factory do the work. A number of foreign firms have U.S. factories: Talgo (building in Wisconsin), Kawasaki (Nebraska), Rotem (Philadelphia), Bombardier (Plattsburg, NY), Alstom (Hornell, NY), perhaps Sumitomo as well? Bombardier bought the designs from defunct U.S. carbuilders Budd and Pullman.
Nothing in the bidding favors the Chinese, although having a bidding process in the first place makes it easier for new entrants than if states just gave the business to who they felt like or who gave the biggest campaign contributions.
Locomotives are a different story. GE has built diesel locomotives in Erie PA for as long as they have existed. GM’s locomotive business got sold to an American hedge fund, although their main plant is in London, Ontario — they have sometimes subcontracted to assembly shops in the US and Mexico. Motive Power Industries in Boise builds passenger locomotives (and indeed that shop has done some passenger car work in the past). The Acela locomotives were built by Bombardier as mentioned above in Canada and Vermont. NJ Transit’s were built in Hornell NY, I think, by Althstom.
So far both Oregon and Wisconsin have announced they will buy Talgo equipment, built in Wisconsin. Talgo is a Spanish company that took over an American design from a defunct American passenger car builder. That leaves Ohio and Florida, I think as the only other state that will be buying passenger equipment (not 100% certain that I haven’t left out another). U.S. Railcar has been courting Ohio, but I’m sure they will have to go through the bid process.
Florida is wide open and will 100% be certain to go to a foreign bidder as we simply do not have the technology. Likewise California, when it comes time for them to purchase equipment (not now). The Chinese to have the technology as do the Japanese, the French (Alsthom), Germans (Siemens) and the Canadians (Bombardier).
Over the longer term their are plans and dreams to build out the high-speed network, but it will take an infusion of trillions not billions.
Very interesting in this discussion is Amtrak’s new fleet plan. Amtrak has neglected it’s fleet for decades and it’s time to replace it all. They’ve come out with a plan to do just that and are being very intentional about building a U.S. car building industry. It’s very difficult for a U.S. firm to organize and build for a one-off bid, but Amtrak is proposing a sustained and continuing flow of business with the specific intent of making possible a U.S. carbuilding industry. They’ve said that explicitly.
If you want to send comments, support the Amtrak fleet plan as it is this that has the greatest chance of building up a U.S. carbuilding industry. The plan could indeed use your help right now of a letter to your congress and senators.