New bullet trains misfire on old U.S. railroad tracks

(E&E News) The first U.S.-made high-speed “bullet” trains will start running as early as 2024 between Boston, New York and Washington, with the promise of cutting transportation emissions by attracting new rail passengers who now drive or fly.

But Amtrak’s plan to run high-speed rail service on its Northeast Corridor faces a major obstacle — the 450-mile route does not have modern tracks that can handle the speed.

Amtrak, a federally owned passenger-rail company, will have to operate the new trains on tracks that were built more than a century ago for much slower commuter and freight service. The bullet cars will be forced to run slower than 110 mph in most segments.

Many European and Asian countries operate high-speed trains around 200 mph on special tracks designed for faster speeds and closed to slower rail cars.

The old rail infrastructure highlights difficulties the Biden administration faces in bringing high-speed passenger rail service to the United States. President Joe Biden last year vowed to help develop high-speed rail as one of 37 “game-changing R&D opportunities” that could help the United States achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. .........(more)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/new-bullet-trains-misfire-on-old-u-s-railroad-tracks/#:~:text=19th%2Dcentury%20tunnels%2C%20century%2D,vice%20president%20of%20Alstom%20USA.