Name: Amtrak 終於能讓德州擁抱高鐵了嗎？！ (Can Amtrak Finally Bring High-Speed Rail To Texas?)
Uploaded: 2026-03-21T18:39:32.000Z
Duration: 15 min 9 s

The United States is in a race against time to upgrade its transportation system.

美國正與時間賽跑，升級他們的交通系統。

情態助動詞 B1

People 50 years ago didn't think about, well, maybe we should have had high speed rail in the United States long before now.

五十年前的人們沒有想到，嗯，也許我們早就該在美國擁有高鐵了。

程度副詞

Other parts of the world have certainly initiated high speed rail, a great benefit to them.

世界其他地方確實已經啟動了高鐵，這對他們來說是大有裨益的。

Federal planners see an opportunity to bring this service to Texas.

聯邦規劃者看到了將這項服務帶到德州的機會。

I would argue that the Texas Triangle is the lowest hanging fruit in the nation for improving intercity passenger rail service.

我認為，德州三角區是全國改善城市間客運鐵路服務最容易實現的目標。

In 2014, a group named Texas Central made its bid to bring high speed rail to the Texas Triangle.

2014年，一個名為 Texas Central 的團體 bid 引入高鐵到德州三角區。

With bullet trains traveling at over 205 miles per hour, the goal was to connect Dallas to Houston in under 90 minutes.

子彈列車時速超過205英里，目標是在90分鐘內連接達拉斯和休士頓。

You cannot do that in a car, you cannot do that if you fly.

你開車做不到，你搭飛機也做不到。

If you factor in going to the airport, going through security, getting back in from the airport at the other end.

如果你考慮到要去機場、通過安檢、以及抵達目的地後從機場出來的時間。

But after a decade of talk, little progress has been made.

但經過十年的討論，進展甚微。

The original pitch was to build this multibillion dollar megaproject with no taxpayer money until Amtrak announced a plan to revive the project late in 2023.

最初的提案是建造這個數十億美元的超級項目，而且不需要納稅人的錢，直到 Amtrak 在 2023 年底宣佈了一項重振該項目的計劃。

這就是我們所說的項目已準備就緒。

They are now in the process to getting the finance.

If they started construction, the total construction period, could it be seven or eight years.

如果他們開始施工，總施工期可能需要七到八年。

But the backlash in Texas has deep roots and no signs of fading.

但德州的反對聲浪根深蒂固，而且沒有減弱的跡象。

Soon, even if there's a situation where I am taken off the route, I will continue to fight for Texans.

很快，即使我被排除在這個項目之外，我也會繼續為德州人奮鬥。

With $66 billion in federal funds for passenger rail up for grabs, the project is poised for a revival.

隨著有 660 億美元的聯邦資金用於客運鐵路，該項目有望復興。

德州準備好迎接子彈列車了嗎？

And what will a high speed rail service mean for the millions of Texans in its path?

那麼，高鐵服務對沿線數百萬德州人來說，意味著什麼呢？

The race to bring high speed rail to the Texas Triangle dates back to 1987.

德州高鐵的競賽可以追溯到1987年。

And we came so close that we got the legislation passed, we got the franchise awarded to the French.

我們差一點就成功了，我們通過了立法，將特許經營權授予了法國。

Ben Barnes was an early investor in a project to build a system in Texas that would mimic France's TGV system.

Ben Barnes 是早期投資者，他想在德州建立一個能模仿法國 TGV 系統的項目。

In 1994, Southwest Airlines, who was the main opposition, Southwest Airlines spent $37 million and they did a very good job of convincing the Texas farmers that their cows were going to quit giving milk.

1994年，主要的反對者西南航空，花了3700萬美元，並成功說服德州農民，他們的牛將不再產奶。

And all kinds of horror stories were going to happen if we had these electric trains running through Texas.

他們說，如果電動列車在德州運行，就會發生各種可怕的事情。

Today, most Texans use the state's 80,000 miles of highway to get around.

如今，大多數德州人依靠州內8萬英里的高速公路出行。

You know, our transportation system is just really trying to keep up with our population growth.

我們的交通系統真的在努力跟上人口增長。

Commuters experience somewhere around 40 hours of delay a year.

通勤族一年大約會遇到40小時的延誤。

The proposed high speed Rail line in Texas would connect Houston and Dallas, two of the biggest cities in the country.

德州提議興建的高鐵路線，將會連接休士頓和達拉斯這兩個美國最大的城市。

I don't think you could come up with a better city pairing than Dallas to Houston.

我覺得你找不到比達拉斯到休士頓更好的城市組合了。

The cities are in that sweet spot, the sweet spot you're looking for between 200 to 600, 800 miles.

這兩個城市剛好落在你想要的200到600、800英里之間的絕佳距離。

太短不適合搭飛機，太長又不適合開車。

Andy Byford joined Amtrak in 2023 to think strategically about high speed rail in the United States.

Andy Byford 在2023年加入了 Amtrak，為美國的高鐵策略性地思考。

We think there are huge opportunities here.

And certainly the market research that has been done both pre and post Covid shows that there is a compelling business case that people want that convenience, that safety, that reliability of being able to in the future, potentially leave Dallas in the afternoon, go to Houston to watch the game, or maybe have dinner and still be back later that day.

當然，無論是疫情前還是疫情後做的市場調查都顯示，這有著強而有力的商業論證，人們渴望這種便利性、安全性、可靠性，未來能夠在下午從達拉斯出發，到休士頓看比賽，或者吃頓晚餐，當天就能回家。

Texas is probably about the most obvious or the one that would have the biggest return on investment because it takes a drive that can easily be six hours with a bit of traffic and reduces it to a downtown to downtown train ride in about 60 minutes.

德州大概是最明顯的，或是投資報酬率最高的，因為它能將原本可能因為塞車而長達六小時的車程，縮短到大約60分鐘的市中心到市中心火車旅程。

Congressman Seth Moulton was previously a managing director at Texas Central from 2011 to 2012.

國會議員 Seth Moulton 曾於2011年至2012年擔任 Texas Central 的總經理。

If you don't build high speed rail between Dallas and Houston, then you only have two options.

如果你們不在達拉斯和休士頓之間建造高鐵，那你們就只剩下兩個選擇。

You're going to have to expand airports, or you're going to have to expand the highway, or you're going to have to do both.

你們要嘛得擴建機場，要嘛得擴建高速公路，或者兩者都要做。

If built, the Texas bullet train could eventually shuttle over 7 million passengers between Houston and Dallas each year.

如果建成，德州的子彈列車最終每年將能在休士頓和達拉斯之間運送超過700萬名乘客。

That would take about 15,000 vehicles off the highway routes, or 14.5% of the expected daily traffic.

這將能讓高速公路上的車輛減少約15,000輛，相當於預計每日車流量的14.5%。

By 2035, the path for the bullet train is expected to alter 1700 parcels of land, like this farm on the outskirts of Dallas.

到2035年，這條子彈列車的路線預計將改變1700塊土地的使用，就像達拉斯郊區的這個農場一樣。

It's on the southern portion of Dallas, Texas.

The proposed bullet train would travel on elevated tracks.

預計興建的子彈列車將在架高的軌道上行駛。

The planners hope this will allow landowners and wildlife to cross its path.

規劃者希望這樣能讓地主和野生動物得以穿越其路線。

Even with that concession, the project may remove thousands of acres of farmland.

即使做出這項讓步，這個項目仍可能移除數千英畝的農田。

It is actually set to go right over this house here.

事實上，它預計會直接從這裡的房子上方經過。

Jodi Berry says her family has farmed this land for generations.

Jodi Berry 表示，她的家人在這片土地上耕種了好幾代。

In the 2010s she became a member of Texans against high Speed Rail, a grassroots collective who has opposed Texas Central.

在2010年代，她成為了「德州反對高鐵」的成員，這是一個反對 Texas Central 的草根團體。

I mean, this thing's going to cut Madison county in half like it will every other county along the line.

我的意思是，這東西會把 Madison 郡一分為二，就像沿線的其他郡一樣。

We know the stories of the interstate highway tearing up neighborhoods, dividing cities, often going through neighborhoods with racial minorities.

我們知道州際公路破壞社區、分裂城市，而且經常穿過少數族裔社區的故事。

High speed rail is very different because first of all, it's much less land.

高鐵非常不一樣，因為首先，它佔用的土地少得多。

One high speed rail line has the capacity of eight to 10 highway lanes.

一條高鐵線的容量相當於八到十條高速公路車道。

So think about how much less space you need for high speed rail.

所以想想看，高鐵需要多少空間。

In 2022, a Texas supreme court decision gave the backers of this high speed rail project the power of imminent domain.

在2022年，德州最高法院的一項裁決賦予了這個高鐵項目支持者「徵收權」。

But right after the court's decision, the leadership team at Texas Central made mysteriously resigned.

但就在法院做出裁決後，Texas Central 的領導團隊卻神祕地辭職了。

The groups backing the project did not respond to multiple requests from CNBC for a comment.

支持該項目的團體沒有回應 CNBC 的多次評論請求。

I think they put all those conversations with people calling them on hold until they can get to a point where they have a path forward for that communication.

我認為他們把所有與打電話給他們的人的談話都擱置了，直到他們能夠達到一個可以為該溝通提供前進道路的階段。

The decision gave the backers of Texas Central a legal right to purchase land along its planned route if property owners are adequately compensated.

這項裁決賦予了 Texas Central 的支持者購買其規劃路線沿線土地的法律權利，前提是業主獲得充分補償。

Finding out that the high speed rail could potentially go our property has made it very difficult for me to sleep.

得知高鐵可能會經過我們的土地，讓我非常難以入睡。

The eminent domain decision has been made by the supreme court of Texas, but

德州最高法院已經做出了徵收權的決定，但是

it's too early for me really to comment on whether or not we would have to go down that route.

現在就評論我們是否必須走那條路，對我來說還為時過早。

It's certainly not something that we would want to do.

I hope that over time, we can convince all Texans of the massive benefits that this project would bring.

我希望隨著時間的推移，我們能夠說服所有德州人相信這個項目將帶來的巨大效益。

I think it is easier for the people on the end of the lines to be more supportive.

我認為，在路線終點站的人們會更容易支持。

It is a harder thing to ask people along the corridor to support it because they're seeing the impact of the particular facility on new right of way.

在走廊沿線的居民，因為看到特定設施對新徵收土地的影響，所以要他們支持會比較困難。

The right of way isn't just a problem in the countryside.

徵收土地的問題不只出現在鄉村地區。

In Houston, for example, the proposed path will end about six miles west of the city center.

以休士頓為例，預計的路線將在市中心以西約六英里處結束。

Connecting to the downtown light rail with this current plan will require a 20 minute bus ride.

根據目前的計畫，要連接到市中心的輕軌，還需要搭乘 20 分鐘的公車。

You know, you've got cities that are already really built up, and

你知道，有些城市已經發展得很完善了，

so finding a space for that is one issue.

所以要找到空間就是一個問題。

But I think just, you know, making sure that it interconnects into the local transit system as well will be very important.

但我認為，確保它也能與當地的交通系統相互連接，這一點會非常重要。

In Dallas, the elevated tracks will lead directly to the DART light rail system, but

在達拉斯，高架軌道將直接連接到 DART 輕軌系統，但是

the Texas Central alignment ends there and does not connect to downtown Fort Worth and its population of over 950,000 people.

德州中部鐵路的路線規劃就到此為止，無法連接到擁有超過 95 萬人口的沃斯堡市中心。

So we think terminating the high speed rail in Dallas is a mistake.

所以我們認為將高鐵終點設在達拉斯是一個錯誤。

A coalition of planners in north Texas are looking to build their own connection from Fort Worth to Dallas.

北德州的一個規劃者聯盟正尋求自行建造連接沃斯堡和達拉斯的路線。

We don't know the new holding company of the Texas Central partners, so we have no idea what their vision will be.

我們不知道德州中部鐵路合作夥伴的新控股公司是誰，所以我們完全不知道他們的願景會是什麼。

But some members of the group have asked for changes that could trigger a potentially costly environmental review.

但該團體的一些成員要求進行變更，這可能會引發一項潛在代價高昂的環境審查。

The National Environmental Policy act, or NEPA, was created in 1970 and can be used to slow down projects.

《國家環境政策法》，簡稱 NEPA，創立於 1970 年，可用來延緩項目。

The problem we encountered in Texas is that ironically, even though high speed rail is fundamentally so good for the environment.

我們在德州遇到的問題是，諷刺的是，儘管高鐵從根本上對環境非常有益。

It was often environmental regulations that held up our progress.

但卻常常是環保法規阻礙了我們的進展。

Challenges like these can cause delays which can send a project's costs up.

像這樣的挑戰會造成延誤，進而推高項目的成本。

As of February 2024, the Texas Central project was estimated to cost over $33 billion to deliver.

截至 2024 年 2 月，德州中部項目預計耗資超過 330 億美元才能完成。

Another high speed rail project connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco is also facing delays.

另一個連接洛杉磯和舊金山的高鐵項目也面臨延誤。

The project was approved by California voters in 2008.

該項目已於 2008 年獲得加州選民準許。

After $1.3 billion in environmental reviews, costs have skyrocketed.

經過 13 億美元的環保審查後，成本已飆升。

Completing the entire 500 mile system could now cost between $88 billion and $128 billion.

完成長達 500 英里的整個系統，現在可能耗資 880 億至 1280 億美元。

The federal government announced plans to partner with the backers of Texas Central late in 2023, giving the project new momentum.

聯邦政府於 2023 年底宣佈，將與德州中部項目的支持者合作，為該項目注入新動力。

The US used to be a world leader in railroad.

美國曾經是鐵路領域的世界領導者。

In the 1950s, the decision was taken to build the interstate system.

在 1950 年代，我們決定建造州際公路系統。

The highways that we use today and also aviation really took off with the jet age and just progressively over time, rail became less of a focus for the US So we want to change that.

我們今天使用的公路和航空，隨著噴射機時代的來臨而真正起飛，鐵路則隨著時間的推移逐漸不再是美國的重點。所以我們想改變這一點。

Amtrak is wholly owned by the United States government.

It delivered over 28 million customer trips in 2023.

2023 年，它提供了超過 2800 萬人次的旅客運輸。

Since COVID we've actually got a back to more than our pre Covid levels.

自從 COVID 疫情以來，我們的載客量已恢復到疫情前的水準以上。

People are flocking to the railways again.