Mar 24

Mar 24 VIDEO: Photographer shows what it would be like to ride the Zip Rail

(THE MED CITY BEAT) - Want to feel what it would be like to ride the Zip Rail? Well, you are in luck.

Rochester photographer Josh Banks recently filmed his ride on the Taiwan High Speed Rail during a trip to Asia. The high-speed rail reaches speeds of up to 186 miles per hour, the same maximum speeds projected for the Zip Rail.

"For those in Taiwan and other countries with high speed rail, this may not sound exciting," notes Banks. "However, for those of us in countries where rail speeds top out at 70 mph, the thought of going NASCAR or Indy straightaway speeds seemed appealing — and it was."

You can watch the video here:

Under the current proposal, the Zip Rail would travel directly from downtown Rochester to Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport and/or Union Depot in St. Paul.

The project is now advancing through the first phase of a two-step environmental review. A private company recently signaled its interest in developing the rail system — though details of the plan are still vague.

If constructed, the Zip Rail would be the first privately-funded high-speed commuter rail system in the U.S.

Click here to lean more about the project.

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