ns 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 railwith 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]
Amtrak's Acela Express (reaching 150 mph, 240 km/h), Silver Star, Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, Vermonter and certain MARC Penn Line express trains (all five reaching 125 mph, 201 km/h) are the only high-speed services in the country.
As of 2020, 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 is planned to open in 2029 and Phase I is planned for completion in 2031.[2]
Contents
1Definitions in American context
2History
2.1Faster inter-city trains: 1920β1941
2.2Post-war period: 1945β1960
2.3First attempts: 1960β1992
2.4Renewed interest: 1993β2008
2.5Plans for 2008β2013
3Current state and regional efforts
3.1The Northeast
3.1.1Northeast Corridor: Next Generation High-Speed Rail
3.1.1.1Proposed routes
3.1.2Northeast Maglev proposal
3.1.3New JerseyβNew York City upgrades
3.1.4New York
3.1.5Pennsylvania
3.2Western States
3.2.1California
3.2.2Pacific Northwest
3.2.3Arizona
3.3Mid-Atlantic and the South
3.3.1Florida
3.3.2Southeast
3.3.3Texas
3.4Midwest
3.4.1Illinois and the Midwest
3.5The Southwest
4Federal high-speed rail initiatives
4.1American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
4.1.1Strategic plan
4.22009 federal grant funding
4.32010 allocation
4.3.1Cancellation of funds for Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida
4.42011 and 2012 proposals and rejections of funding
5See also
6Notes
7Further reading
8External links
Explanation: