High-speed trains are a great, sustainable alternative to airplanes, but availability is lacking in the majority of the U.S.
Technological advances in the rail industry would mean more access to low-carbon travel throughout the country, reducing air pollution from planes as demand for short-haul flights decreases.
A video from YouTuber Marylandrailfan captures a high-speed Amtrak Acela Express train passing by a train stop at an impressive pace.
From the video alone, you can almost tell just how fast the train is going. The Acela is the fastest train in North America, reaching speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, with new trains set to hit 160. Amtrak, which is the United States' national passenger railroad company, is using new federal funding to expand its fleet of high-speed trains and improve railroad infrastructure all over the country, as per their website.
The majority of funding for these new projects comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. This act designated $22 billion for repairing and replacing old trains and stations, as well as another $44 billion in grants focused specifically on improving both passenger and freight trains in the U.S.
In a report from the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the benefits of rail travel over air travel were analyzed. The report concluded that "rail is a cleaner transportation alternative to flights and has the lowest emissions per passenger mile ratio than any other means of transport." The biggest barrier to increasing travel by rail in the U.S. is the lack of access to trains and the length of time a trip takes.
The U.S. is behind in the world of high-speed passenger trains. South Korea, for example, has been using high-speed rail since 2008, and countries like China, Indonesia, as well as most of Europe, have great rail systems that allow passengers to travel between countries for less money and with less pollution than flying.
Commenters on Marylandrailfan's video were excited to see the new high-speed Acela trains in action.
"The U.S. needs more of these," commented one user.
Another user chimed in, "I just last month saw this train at speed, all I can say is WOW!!"
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