Take a look at the upcoming US high-speed rail projects that could bring the country up to speed with the rest of the world
- The US' fastest train travels at 150 mph, while trains in China and France can travel at over 200 mph.
- Projects across the country hope to fill the gap, as the recent infrastructure bill put $66 billion toward rail.
The US is not exactly known for its high-speed trains.
Trains in China, Europe, and Japan travel at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. In the US, on the other hand, Amtrak's Acela — the country's fastest train — operates at top speeds of 150 mph, and will reach only 160 mph once the next generation of trains hit the rail.
Once it starts carrying passengers this summer, Brightline trains on a stretch of track in Florida near Orlando will reach a maximum of 125 mph, the very minimum speed required for a train to be considered high speed if it runs on standard tracks, according to the International Union of Railways.
Nevertheless, there's some ongoing effort to catch up, with President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law putting $66 billion towards rail, and a number of private high-speed rail projects in the work.
Take a look at the high-speed rail projects that are at various stages of development in the US:
1. Brightline Florida
The privately owned company is scheduled to start connecting Miami to Orlando at 125 mph this summer.
Source: Insider.
It also plans to expand its network to Tampa in the future.
2. Amtrak's next-generation Acela trains
The new fleet will reach a speed of up to 160 mph connecting Boston to Washington, DC, slower than other HSR projects due to running on conventional tracks.
Originally expected in 2021, the debut of the new trains has been recently delayed to 2024, due to complications passing federal safety benchmarks.
Source: Insider.
3. Brightline West
The rail company hopes to start connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles with speeds of over 180 mph in 2027.
Once operational, the train should connect the two cities in a little over one hour.
Source: Insider.
4. California High-Speed Rail Authority
The project hopes to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours at a speed of over 200 mph.
First approved in 2008, the project is moving forward slowly, and it won't be operational before 2030, at its very earliest.
Source: Insider.
5. Texas High-Speed Train
Private Texas Central Railway wants to connect Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth in less than 90 minutes at over 200 mph, using Japanese bullet trains.
It is unclear when the company expects the project to become operational.
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