America’s not-quite-high-speed train has just gotten a little bit faster with completion of an infrastructure upgrade in New Jersey.
The improvement, between South Brunswick and New Brunswick, will allow Amtrak’s Acela service to operate at 150 mph, the highest speed of any train in North America, and equal to Acela’s rate on improved rail in parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
For most of its route between Washington, DC and Boston, Acela shares right-of-way with slower passenger trains and with freight, leaving it far short of the near 200-mph speeds common on European and Asian high-speed lines. Amtrak’s future planning envisions more work to get Acela up to speed.
