Looking North

For the next extension of the Northeast Corridor, the government should keep New York City as its first priority. Others along the Acela Express route might argue that they should not be neglected - certainly, cities such as Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, New Haven, and Newark are worthy of becoming rail hubs with their own high speed branch lines.

New York is the largest city on the Northeast Corridor and the central city on the busiest rail line in the United States. Therefore, I propose that the next expansion of high speed rail after the Lackawanna Cut-off be the Maple Leaf route through Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Niagra Falls to Toronto.

Why pick this route?

To revitalize the Erie Canal region of New York and the northern tier of the rust belt. To link the US and Canada through high speed rail.

New York already has improvements to this route as part of its rail plan. The federal government should step in and prioritize it as a new high speed rail line.

It would require that American and Canadian officials create an international HSR system with customs and immigration services that operate like streamlined airports. Since the system would only bridge two countries, the entire process could be expedited to happen efficiently and safely at every stop before and after boarding. Thus while detrained passengers stroll through customs, the train speeds away to it's next stop. This would be a model for future high speed service across the border to Windsor, Montreal and Vancouver.

It would also establish Toronto, Buffalo, and Albany as new high speed rail hubs. Future expansions of HSR would certainy link to and through these cities.