High Speed Intercontinental Rail? "Not Likely"

I shared an article about the $8 billion for high speed railroad included in the U.S. stimulus bill with Mr. George Koumal, chairman of the Interhemispheric Bering Strait Tunnel and Railroad Group. The IBSTRG has been advocating a railroad link across the Bering Strait for more than 20 years. George didn't seem to think it was all that relevant to the Project.

Here is his email to me, published with permission: 

Dear Tim: Thanks for the information. I have been aware of this. However, high speed railroad is completely unsuitable for freight movements. And it is the freight movements over long overland distance where the railroad has no competition. Also, railroad not only transports but it also develops commerce and industry. Arctic is suitable for all kinds of development. Including agriculture, as strange as it may sound. Greenhouse farming in the Arctic would take advantage of the long summer sunlight hours, as well as the fact that there would be cheaper energy available that in more moderate climate. I am not sure if I mentioned this to you before. If you take a city hopper flight from Paris to Amsterdam, you would see below square miles of greenhouses. Similarly, on the train ride (courtesy of Mr. Lee) from Pusan to Seoul, you can also see whole square miles of greenhouse farms. It is a highly profitable business. Rail/ship transport from Arctic can supply vegetables and flowers all around the World. High speed trains cannot do it.

    North Korea does need a carrot-threat of long range rockets! Please write an article to Korea Times about the Inter-Korean Consortium. It is a newspaper read in Pyongyang, I believe.

 

                                         All the Best to all of you, George Koumal