A new map reveals a private company wants to speed up and increase access to high-speed rail in the Northeast.
AmeriStarRail recently unveiled their proposed partnership to operate 160 mph trains on Amtrak stations and tracks, as Newsweek reported.
Notably, the trains would feature "Triple-Class" service, including coach, business, and first-class seating. That mirrors bullet trains in France and Japan, per Newsweek. It's also in contrast to Amtrak's own high-speed Acela service, which only sells business and first-class tickets.
The core route runs through major East Coast cities, starting with Boston and proceeding south through stops including Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, before reaching the final stop of Washington, D.C.
The map also includes offshoot routes to destinations like Albany and Harrisburg.
AmeriStarRail clarified to Newsweek that their aim isn't to take on Amtrak but rather to pay track usage and station fees while operating and financing their own crews and trains. AmeriStarRail COO Scott R. Spencer said they seek to "grow ridership and market share" for high-speed rail.
AmeriStarRail says trains will offer free Wi-Fi, as well as seat-side food service, illustrating that the goal isn't to skimp on amenities.
Globally, bullet trains draw rave reviews from passengers for their speed, efficiency, and comfort in China, Japan, and Italy. Meanwhile, India is beginning to invest heavily in high-speed rail.
A study in China pointed to the benefits for the planet, revealing the carbon pollution generated per passenger was a mere one-seventh of air-transit pollution.
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AmeriStarRail's success could also provide a strong option for drivers, lowering tailpipe pollution while reducing congestion in some of the most trafficked highways in the country.
How much federal support high-speed rail will receive is an open question. The Biden administration provided funding for multiple projects in the 2021 Infrastructure Law, as Newsweek noted.
President-elect Donald Trump notably praised Japan's bullet trains in a live conversation on X, formerly known as Twitter, even saying "it doesn't make sense" that the U.S. doesn't have similar infrastructure.
That could bode well for high-speed rail in the U.S. Exciting projects like a Las Vegas-to-LA route and a Houston-to-Dallas one are underway and could be joined by this Northeast route.
"AmeriStarRail is looking forward to working with the United States Department of Transportation Secretary nominee Rep. Sean Duffy and President Trump on improving Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service, with private sector innovation," Spencer told Newsweek.
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