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| GREDA Official: Don't Expect High Speed Rail in Galesburg Overnight |
An official with the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association says while it's great news that a man with Galesburg ties is interested in trying to locate a high speed rail car-building operation here, it's going to take a lot of work before anything like that becomes reality.
GREDA Vice President Dick Johnson says yes, the organization has been in contact with 1969 GHS Grad Sheridan McNeair, a venture capitalist who wants to work toward locating the operation in Galesburg, which could be the first in this country.
And while Johnson tells WGIL a formal presentation by McNeair has yet to be made, the fact there are no other such manufacturers in the country isn't the only problem.
"We have to have the railroad tracks developed to run the high speed trains on," Johnson said. "I think that this isn't simply like saying we're going to start tomorrow to develop a plan. We want to be sure and build the train to fit the track that hasn't been built or hasn't been reinforced to handle (high speed rail cars)."
That said, Johnson says it wouldn't be impossible to locate a high speed rail car manufacturing plant here in sites like the former Maytag and Butler Manufacturing plants or anywhere else, and that such an operation could work nicely with a company like Westcode already in town, which makes air conditioning units and automatic doors for passenger trains.
Johnson says GREDA is interested in hearing what McNeair has to say and seeing what can then be done.
Efforts to contact McNeair for an interview have so far been unsuccessful. |
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| 10 02 09 by Newsroom |
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