Tracking U.S. ‘Higher-Speed’ Rail Progress

While the United States lags considerably behind other developed and developing countries on the construction of high-speed rail, several recent projects, in Florida and between Illinois and Missouri, have made progress on “higher-speed” rail—trains that goes fast, just not quite fast enough to fit the industry’s definition of high-speed rail. (For the record, the Congressional Research Service defines “Higher Speed Rail” as rail services with speeds up to 150 mph.)

A paywalled article by Luz Lazo for the Washington Post updates the progress on five projects underway around the United States to bring new speeds and new routes to the United States’ intercity rail offerings.

The five projects included in the article, with notable facts, funding details, remaining challenges, and timelines provided for each of the projects:

• Amtrak’s Acela high(er)-speed trains will reach 160 mph at various points between Boston and Washington, D.C.
• Brightline West is an electrified rail line that would reach speeds of 186 mph between Rancho Cucamonga, in California, and Las Vegas, in Nevada. Brightline West gained a key federal approval in July 2023.
• California High-Speed Rail is under construction and attracting constant controversy. When and if the project is completed, electrified trains would reach planned speeds of 220 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Later extensions would reach to Sacramento and San Diego.
• Texas High-Speed Rail is battling legal controversy over eminent domain, rising costs, and political opposition, but recently gained new momentum with the possibility of a public-private partnership between Amtrak and Texas Central. The rail line is planned for 200 mph speeds between Dallas and Houston.
• Cascadia High-Speed Rail is actually an international proposition—potentially linking cities in the Pacific Northwest beyond the U.S. Canadian border in Vancouver, British Columbia. According to Luz, project planners aim for Cascadia High-Speed Rail trains to reach 250 mph.