USA: The Difficult Path to a High-Speed Nation by Rail
In the USA, fast travel primarily means flying. However, high-speed trains would be quite worthwhile. But the few projects face significant challenges.
(Image: Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock)
Anyone wanting to travel across the USA by rail will feel almost like they are in a different era. Beautiful, but old, so-called Union Stations as main stations, baggage carts with check-in service for large luggage, and travel times from forgotten eras are what characterize the long-distance trains of the US provider Amtrak. This is especially true if you have experienced real delays, which can easily last more than a day. The reasons for this are manifold, partly rooted in different infrastructure approaches, and partly due to operational priorities. While long-distance transport enjoys priority in Germany and can even force regional trains to wait shortly before the final station, it's different in the USA.
Freight transport enjoys priority in many areas or takes it for itself, which regularly leads to disputes. Amtrak's long-distance trains then have to wait, as Amtrak rarely operates its few long-distance trains on its own infrastructure and is dependent on other operators. The punctuality statistics, for example, from 2021 (PDF) make even Deutsche Bahn look good. Nevertheless, there are occasional signs of progress. For instance, in September, the US Department of Justice announced an out-of-court settlement between Norfolk Southern and Amtrak.
According to this, Amtrak trains now have the highest priority on Norfolk Southern's infrastructure. Since the Department of Justice became involved in mid-2024, delay minutes have decreased by 53 percent. There is so little long-distance traffic in the USA that it is easy to observe almost all trains. Amtrak's Track a Train enables this.
Heavy Traffic is the Exception
There are, of course, some exceptions in the USA. In addition to classic commuter trains (morning in, evening out), there is occasionally higher-frequency long-distance traffic. On the West Coast, for example, there is more activity between Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. Seattle and Portland, in particular, have connections where passengers can sometimes miss a train. The same applies between San Diego and Los Angeles. These two areas are also reasonably well connected via San Francisco. Otherwise, a day per direction is not unusual, as is the case with the connection between the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) and Chicago.
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston, New York City, and Washington D.C. is doing even better. This is also where one of the USA's two high-speed networks is in operation. Amtrak's Acela, the high-speed trains from Amtrak, run here. They have recently even been supplemented by new trains (Nextgen Acela from Alstom) and can now travel at 160 mph or 258 km/h. The old trains only ran at 150 mph. The problem is that the NEC offers few opportunities to reach this speed. Before the introduction of these trains, the average speed was around 70 mph or 112 km/h. This is not due to the many stops, but to the track itself. Large sections of it are restricted to speeds between 70 and 100 mph. In addition, there are station approaches with tight curves that cannot be bypassed.
The second high-speed network is in Florida with Brightline. Diesel trains there reach 125 mph, or just over 200 km/h, although most of the route is limited to 110 mph. This is better than the NEC, but from a German perspective, it's more like a fast regional train. In Germany, for example, the Franken-ThĂĽringen Express travels at 190 km/h, and regional trains between Munich and Nuremberg travel at similar speeds. More is not possible in the USA so far. But that is set to change.
Hopeful Brightline West to Las Vegas
A high-speed project important for the USA is Brightline West. It is intended to connect Las Vegas with the greater Los Angeles area by 2030. However, the deadline was recently moved to 2029, so it will be tight. Anyone familiar with railway projects in the USA knows that massive delays can occur. There are already some preparatory construction measures for Brightline West, albeit on a small scale. However, work is not expected to truly begin until 2026.
The project has a major advantage: the route follows the "Right of Way" of Interstate 15. This is expected to significantly simplify construction, also because land acquisition is less problematic. The special aspect: The casino city of Las Vegas, which also hosts the annual CES technology trade show, has long been without a long-distance rail connection. Amtrak has abandoned the city for passenger rail transport. Brightline West will bring it back, albeit differently than before.
Only 350 kilometers will be built. On the Los Angeles side, Brightline West will end near Ontario Airport (CA), specifically in Rancho Cucamonga. From there, passengers will need to transfer to the San Bernardino Metrolink Line, which can reach Los Angeles Union Station in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, Brightline intends to discuss not only schedules with Metrolink but also combined tickets.
Brightline Will Only Go to a Las Vegas Suburb
Brightline West will also not end ideally in Las Vegas. It will arrive quite far south of the famous Strip with its hotels, much of which is not even part of Las Vegas. Formally, Brightline will only go as far as the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise. Since Las Vegas has no real local public transport, a transit center will likely transport passengers to and from the Brightline station. Taxis, a few buses, and ridesharing are expected to handle this. Anyone who has used public transport in Las Vegas knows that it can be quite challenging and, above all, slow.
All of this puts the relatively short travel time of two hours on Brightline West into perspective. On both sides, there is still a considerable amount of travel time to be added. However, the airports are also not ideally located. From door to door, the train journey is likely to take four to five hours. The airplane, with all the associated arrangements, will likely offer similar travel times.
On the other hand, much can be expected from Brightline West. Brightline in Florida is a model for the USA in terms of station design and multimodal integration. Brightline West is planning something comparable, according to initial renderings. The trains themselves are also expected to be of high quality. If the operator adopts the standard of Brightline trains, travel should be pleasant.
Trains of German Design
The rolling stock will be provided by Siemens Mobility. Ten American Pioneer 220 (AP220) are planned for the fleet. The 220 stands for the maximum speed in miles. Thus, peak speeds of 354 km/h are planned.
(Image:Â Siemens Mobility)
Technically, Siemens is using the Velaro Novo platform, which is currently under development. A middle car recently set a new German record in Germany in conjunction with the test train ICE S, reaching 405 km/h. The Velaro Novo bogie was simply running along during the test without driving the train, according to Siemens. This means the reserves for operation at 350 km/h have already been achieved. According to Siemens, 390 km/h was sufficient for a certification target of 360 km/h.
California Faces Difficulties
Much longer in planning and also under construction is the California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) project. This is intended to connect San Francisco with Los Angeles. The potential is therefore there. Between the two main airports (SFO and LAX) alone, around 40 aircraft per direction operate on some days. In addition, there are airports such as Oakland, San Jose (Valley side), or Burbank and Ontario (Metro Los Angeles).
Despite numerous preparations, especially in San Francisco, a direct connection between the cities is not foreseeable. Currently, construction work is only underway between Merced (just under 100,000 inhabitants) and shortly before Bakersfield (approx. 400,000 inhabitants) in the south, which likely corresponds to the first operational phase. However, this is not certain, as there are also reports that CAHSR is reconsidering the Initial Operating Segment. Instead of Merced, Gilroy might be served, which is south of San Jose and thus at least near Silicon Valley.
It might be faster to reach San Francisco than previously assumed. Many preparations for the reception of CAHSR trains have already been completed there. Caltrain trains have been operating under an overhead line since last year, making them almost fully electric from San Francisco to Tamien. However, trains between Tamien and Gilroy continue to run on diesel. At least a transfer towards San Francisco would be possible.
However, hardly anyone can say when that will be the case. Operations for the initial segment are expected to begin in the early 2030s. However, the start date is regularly pushed back. Much about CAHSR remains unclear to this day. This even applies to the rolling stock.
Ultimately, the CAHSR project has always been plagued by concerns about money. At the same time, the USA has little practical experience in building new lines of this magnitude, as this project clearly demonstrates.
The US Department of Transportation, incidentally, withdrew funds amounting to 4 billion US dollars from CAHSR at the end of August 2025. However, since September, the state of California has been securing around one billion US dollars per year until 2045.
A Maglev Train for the Northeast Corridor?
There is little activity surrounding a project that proposes a magnetic levitation train between Washington D.C. and Baltimore. The project is called Northeast Maglev, but it is not yet very far along. There isn't even a fixed route yet.
Technically, the US maglev train is to be based on the Japanese Chūō Shinkansen, which is currently under construction in Japan and is intended to relieve the existing Tōkaidō Shinkansen. The train is expected to reach speeds of around 500 km/h in operation.
(Image:Â Northeast Maglev)
The costs were recently estimated at 10 billion to 15 billion US dollars. However, it is rather unlikely that the project will be realized in the foreseeable future, especially since federal support is lacking. Officially, the US Department of Transportation also withdrew funding from this project in August.
A Difficult Path with Little Hope
Traveling fast by train in the USA will remain an almost unattainable dream for the population. Amtrak's Acela and Brightline in Florida are the only systems that at least come close to high-speed travel.
There is some hope for the California High Speed Rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, the project is dragging on, and it is unclear when continuous trains between Los Angeles, California's largest city, and Silicon Valley will be possible.
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Brightline West currently has the best chance, although the project started quite late. Brightline East has already shown that higher-speed rail is feasible on a longer route with comfortable rolling stock and modern stations. The route has now been extended so far north that it can also be classified as high-speed rail, albeit very narrowly and depending on the definition. However, if everything goes according to plan, the connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas should be the first that can be confidently classified as high-speed rail. The project also benefits from the fact that it is initially intended to reach metropolitan areas. However, caution is advised with rail projects in the USA: much can still go wrong despite everything.
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