Are US travellers ready to embrace fast trains?

Inter-city trains have never been a big thing in the US. High-speed rail links are almost non-existent as Americans traditionally prefer to travel point to point in their gas-guzzling cars.

But now the US Administration has approved $US3 billion in funding from its Bipartisan Infrastructure fund for the Brightline West high-speed rail project.

This plans to connect Las Vegas to Southern California and is scheduled for completion in time for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. It projects journeys would take 2 hours, 15 minutes. 

It will become the first true high-speed rail system in the US, Travel Mole reports.

“The dream of American high-speed rail is about to become reality,” said Ray LaHood Co-Chair of the U.S. High-Speed Rail Coalition, a former US Secretary of Transportation.

“We greatly appreciate the commitment of the Biden Administration, our Coalition members and many others who have worked hard to spark America’s high-speed rail revolution,” LaHood said.

Andy Kunz, CEO of US High Speed Rail said: “Electrified bullet trains will transform the nation’s transportation system, reducing congestion and helping end our dependency on fossil fuels.

“This investment by the Biden Administration represents a milestone in advancing our progress.”

The new route is part of a planned West Coast Corridor connecting Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Other high-speed rail lines planned for the future include in Texas and a cross border connection from Vancouver in Canada to Portland and Seattle.

The Las Vegas project is not government run but a private-public partnership led by Brightline, a Florida-based company that runs a successful commuter line within that state. including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Victorian wines to get a higher US profile

 

Wine drinkers in the US are about to be blitzed by a $2.2 million sales campaign by Wine Victoria.

The USA Market Development Strategy aims to increase premium Victorian wine sales in the south and south-east states of the US.

The new strategy - funded by the Victorian Government through Global Victoria - will see Wine Victoria deliver a number of programs over the coming years to amplify the presence of Victorian wine in the region, and help grow its market.

The USA Market Development Strategy is divided into two phases and will be completed by mid 2024.

The program focuses on five core initiatives: 

# Supporting new entrants to the US market primarily through the Wine Australia Market Entry Program.

# Trade promotions with distributors, retailers, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms

# Attendance at selected trade shows

# Communications to build awareness and engage with trade and consumers.

# Appointment of a US-based business development manager to drive the program and support wineries.

Chair of Wine Victoria, Stephanie Duboudin, said the USA Market Development Strategy is an exciting opportunity for Victorian wine producers.

“These programs and activations are a great way for Wine Victoria members to showcase the quality of their wines and to tell their own unique stories on a global scale," she said.

“Wine Victoria is delighted to be working with the Victorian Government and Global Victoria to amplify Victorian wine in the United States, and to create more ways to educate people on the diverse and world-class wine styles grown and produced in our beautiful state.”

Wineries wanting to be involved in the USA Market Development Strategy Program can email secretariat@winevictoria.org.au 

# Wine Victoria is the peak body representing the Victorian wine industry.

Image: Dal Zotto vineyard, King Valley. Supplied

Unvaccinated visitors told: stay away from the US of A

If you are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 then you can forget about entering the United States any time soon.

The administration has outlined the entry requirements for foreign travellers visiting the US as it opens to visitors on November 8, Business Traveller reported. 

US President Joe Biden signed a proclamation this week imposing new vaccine requirements for most foreign air travellers. 

The new rules replace the 212 (f) restrictions that began at the outset of the pandemic and banned travellers from countries including the UK, Ireland, all Schengen countries, Brazil, South Africa, India, and China.

From early November, travellers must provide proof of double vaccination, as well as a negative Covid-19 test result taken within three days of departure. Both PCR and antigen tests can be used for entry.

Biden’s proclamation states: “It is in the interests of the United States to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the Covid-19 pandemic and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States.”

Airlines will be required to check travellers’ vaccination status before they can board flights to the US, confirm that the proof of vaccination comes from an “official source” and that it was received at least two weeks before departure.

 The US is currently accepting any vaccines approved by the Federal Drug Administration and World Health Organisation.

Airlines operating flights to the US will also need to collect personal information from passengers for contact tracing purposes. This information will be kept on file for 30 days to allow health officials to get in touch with anyone who may have been exposed to Covid-19.

Travellers under the age of 18 will be exempt from the vaccine requirements, in addition to those with medical conditions, but they must still provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test.