As the Obama Administration pushes for high-speed rail networks across the country, Germany's Siemens has secured a place for its Valero ICE trains in the Sunshine State.
Earlier this month, Siemens presented its vision of U.S. high-speed rail to the people of Florida with the "Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour," a traveling exhibit featuring a full-sized model of the Velaro high-speed train.
Apparently, the strategy worked, as Florida recently announced that it would make transportation history as the first state to build a high-speed rail corridor, with trains connecting Tampa to Orlando and then to Miami in a second phase.
n April, President Barack Obama surprised many mass transit supporters when he endorsed a $10 billion investment in high-speed rail in the stimulus package, outlining 13 possible high-speed rail corridors throughout the United States, from Florida to California.Later in the summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation delivered $80 million in grants for high-speed rail projects to several U.S. states, including California, Wisconsin, New York and New Mexico. Florida scooped up the bulk of that money however, pocketing a cool $66,600,000.
The Velaro can travel up to 250 miles per hour (403 kilometers/hour) and currently operates at high-speeds in Germany, Spain, China, Russia, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. In 2006, a Velaro E trainset operated by Spain's national rail authority, RENFE, set a world record for fastest unmodified commercial rail travel.
