High-speed rail in the United States

Map of high-speed rail lines in the United States
Amtrak Acela train at Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Plans for high-speed rail in the United States date back to the High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965. Various state and federal proposals have followed. Despite being one of the world's first countries to get high-speed trains (the Metroliner service in 1969), it failed to spread. Definitions of what constitutes high-speed rail vary, including a range of speeds over 110 mph (180 km/h) and dedicated rail lines. Inter-city rail with top speeds between 90 and 125 mph (140 and 200 km/h) is sometimes referred to in the United States as higher-speed rail.[1]

Under the most common international definition of high-speed rail (speeds above 155 mph (250 km/h) on newly built lines and speeds above 124 mph (200 km/h) on upgraded lines), Amtrak's Acela is the United States' only true high-speed rail service, reaching 150 mph (240 km/h) over 49.9 miles (80.3 km) of track along the Northeast Corridor.[2] Acela trains will reach top speeds of 160 mph (255 km/h) when new trainsets enter service in 2024.[3] Other services, like Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Brightline, have a top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) and are usually not considered high-speed rail.

Brightline, while marketing itself as high-speed rail, more closely meets the definition of higher-speed rail. Despite having a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h) along 20 miles (32 km) of newly built track, most of the route is limited to a top speed of 110 mph (180 km/h) due to the presence of grade crossings.[4]

As of 2024, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is working on the California High-Speed Rail project and construction is under way on sections traversing the Central Valley. The Central Valley section, between Merced and Bakersfield, is planned to begin passenger service by 2030.[5] Brightline West is a privately operated route that is currently under construction between the Las Vegas Valley and Rancho Cucamonga in the Greater Los Angeles area,[6] with service set to begin by 2028.[7] Both projects received funding following the awarding of a federal grant of about $3 billion for each.[8][9]

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "New Acela Fleet | Amtrak". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  4. ^ "110 mph: Brightline to launch high-speed train testing runs in Brevard County". Florida Today. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "2023 Project Update Report" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Project Overview | Brightline West". www.brightlinewest.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "Construction to begin on high-speed rail between Vegas and California". Washington Post. April 20, 2024. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  8. ^ Lazo, Luz (December 5, 2023). "Las Vegas-S. California high-speed rail gets $3 billion federal grant". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  9. ^ Russell, Edward (December 8, 2023). "Biden Administration Unveils $8 Billion for Train Projects, With First U.S. High-Speed Rail Line". Skift. Retrieved April 20, 2024.