Ocracokers Rally for High Speed Rail

You're not alone.

Frustrated with the state ferry system's annual threat to raise the tolls, Ocracokers looked to private industry to help them out.

Amtrak, known for its promptness and profitability, has already jumped on board with plans to carry folks to Ocracoke on one of their luxurious Viewliner cars. Passengers will be able to sit in style while the bullet train carries them to and from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor in just 12 minutes.

"The commissioners voted unanimously to adopt Japanese technology and it's been a breeze," said Hyde County manager Bill Rich. "The commute to the courthouse will be easy for everyone who is called for jury duty."

Trips to Nags Head (bypassing Hatteras Island and the angry mobs of protestors) will take only 33 minutes – less time than a ferry ride across Hatteras Inlet! 

The Ocracoke depot will be located adjacent to the Springer’s Point Nature Preserve so passengers can take in the wonder of the beautiful maritime forest from the air-conditioned comfort of their window seats.

Mainland depots will be equipped with electric courtesy cars for Ocracoke residents to use for short trips while shopping, going to the doctor, or whatever. 

In a White House press conference this afternoon, President Obama will announce plans to invest your tax dollars in high-speed rail in North Carolina. The place to start, he said, was Ocracoke, where trains could easily replace the outmoded and problem-plagued ferry service.

Obama calls high-speed rail “the infrastructure of the future.”

“I mean, it’s important to repave our roads; it’s important to repair our bridges so that they’re safe,” Obama said about NC 12 and the troubled bridge over Oregon Inlet. “But we want to start looking deep into the 21st century, and we want to say to ourselves, ‘There is no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can’t.’ ”

Look for our accompanying Ocracoke Transportation story on April 2: Due to Popular Demand, NC Ferries Will Add Stumpy Point to Mumbai, India Route. Crossings will take a mere 8.5 months, include curry-flavored snacks in the vending machines, and provide non-functioning internet service.