Some Northland residents oppose our future Northern Lights Express (NLX) by claiming it will not be fast enough to attract many passengers. We should ask ourselves whether that claim is rooted in fact and substance.
For example, Acela Amtrak's flagship high-speed service along the Northeast Corridor runs at 150 mph for about 34 miles. However, Acela has an average speed of 82 mph between Washington and New York while traveling at 66 mph between New York and Boston. Florida’s Brightline service currently operates at 79 mph. Despite such slow speeds, both train lines attract thousands of passengers each day.
Our NLX will travel between the Twin Ports and the Twin Cities at 90 mph, providing much faster overall service then Acela and nearly every passenger train in the U.S. NLX will attract thousands of riders each day, taking thousands of car trips off Interstate 35, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by many tons. And remember that NLX’s speed is expected to be gradually increased well above 90 mph after this important service has started.
James Patrick Buchanan
Duluth
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