GOING ON TH RAILS

Zero-emissions trains making their way to U.S. lines

- Damien Martin

Visitors to Europe know how easy it is to get around by mass transit, especially by train. In the automobile era, that has for the most part not been the case in the U.S. But there are heavily populated corridors in the U.S. where train travel is a popular mode of (relatively) high-speed transportation. And just as the automotive sector has shifted toward zero-emission options in recent years, trains have been getting greener as the European Union strives to cut net emissions by 90% relative to 1990 levels by 2040. The purveyors of those trains now have their eyes on the North American market.

GOLDEN STATE GOALS

As with many innovation experiments in America, like the planned ban on sales of new gas-powered vehicles, California has emerged as a testing ground. The state announced this year a $310 billion plan for a zero-emission interconnected train and transit network to be completed by 2050.

“Our vision is simple: by 2050, every Californian should be able to choose rail as a way to get to their destination, near or far. Our rail plan is ambitious, but as the world’s fifth-largest economy bursting with talent and innovation, we’re ready to take on this challenge,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.