SPEEDING UP HIGH SPEED RAIL

Last week, with US Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle, I had an opportunity to tour the new Russian High Speed Sapsan train in Moscow's Leningradsky Train Station .  Apart from the new features the system offers, I also noticed a nation excited about this new rail service.

The Sapsan (Russian for Peregrine Falcon) will begin its 250 kilometers-per-hour runs from Moscow to St. Petersburg in December. The line will feature Velaro RUS trains, developed by Siemens , much like those already operating in China and Spain but adapted to Russia's climate.

The train, much like the one I rode in Spain , is beautiful to look at, and the one I toured had a simulator so I could preview what it would be like to ride in the engineer's cab. This allows engineers to get hands-on training and see the actual countryside they'll be driving through when the line becomes operational next month.

When watching the simulated countryside roll by at high-speeds, I couldn't help thinking about the American high-speed rail system we're beginning to develop here at home.

Now, that system is going to take some time getting on-line, but I'm excited about announcing our first high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants this winter.

We are on the verge of jumpstarting high-speed opportunities in the US, and I regularly hear from folks around the country who are thrilled by this game-changing endeavor. That Russia is about to join China and Western Europe in the high-speed rail club should only motivate us even more.