Northeast Corridor High Speed Rail The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is the main rail line operating in the northeast region of the United States. It is primarily owned by Amtrak and serves the major cities of Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, including various other cities along the way. The line includes the Acela Express service, regional Amtrak service, as well as a number of commuter rail services and freight. It is the busiest rail line in America with the highest passenger ridership numbers.
Current physical restrictions on the line prevent trains from operating at true high speed rail levels. Trains average 79 mph along the corridor, while the Acela reaches speeds approaching 150mph for a short stretch near Boston. Several plans have been put forward recently to upgrade the entire corridor to world class high speed rail levels with trains traveling at 220 mph.
University of Pennsylvania Study - True High Speed for Northeast Corridor
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