A recently released Amtrak plan doesn't envision high-speed rail servicing the Northeast Corridor until 2040. Paul Nussbaum looks at whether an incremental approach might bring increased speed and amenities to passengers sooner.
If you don't live in California's Central Valley, that probably means true high-speed rail isn't in your city's immediate future. But, according the "international manufacturers who are touting the prospects of smooth,
quiet, luxurious rides for American passengers", that doesn't mean you can't have a European- or Japanese-style high-speed rail "experience" at speeds well below 220-m.p.h., writes Nussbaum.
"'Higher-speed'
trains with many of the same aerodynamic features and interior
amenities of France's TGV or Japan's Shinkansen may be the American
stepping-stone to true high-speed rail, as the United States looks for
affordable improvements to its old-fashioned, slow passenger rail
network."
And apparently, these manufacturers are bullish on the prospects for America adopting an incremental approach: "Foreign-based high-speed train-builders, such as Alstom (France),
Siemens (Germany), and Talgo (Spain), have opened American factories to
make modern trains that can run on conventional tracks in the United
States, with hopes of eventually winning high-speed contracts, as well."
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