Interstate High Speed Rail Progress

Interstate High-Speed Rail Progress is happening, but we need to build it faster. It’s the linchpin of Sustainable Passenger Transportation that brings high-capacity connectivity to Amtrak Regional Rail, Commuter Rail, Metro Rail, Bus Rapid Transit, and Dedicated Bikeway. Enhanced with symbiotic ridership, they will cut traffic congestion, smog & greenhouse gases while increasing mobility, safety & jobs.  — Thomas Dorsey, High-Speed Rail Advocate & Travel Publisher

America Must Accelerate Sustainable Passenger Transportation Construction

In this multi-part series for laypeople, I illuminate the WHY, HOW, WHERE and WHEN America needs to complete Sustainable Passenger Transportation and Sustainable Energy infrastructure. Here are my credentials from studying Passenger Transportation and Energy to power it since 2009. Given the breadth and importance of this subject, I also include weblinks to credible sources supporting the odyssey we must take.

Part 1 summarizes how America chose to let its Intercity Passenger Rail and Transit fall behind other advanced nations.

Part 2 summarizes the massive benefits 26 nations in Asia, Europe, and Africa experience from High-Speed Rail (HSR) with construction underway in more nations.

Part 3 summarizes why greenhouse gas emissions have reached a tipping point in Global Warming and how smog emissions from Transportation and Energy sectors remain public health issues.

Part 4 summarizes the good, bad & ugly of our vulnerable electric grid, intercity buses, Electric Vehicles (EV), regional flights, freight trucks, cruise ships, cargo ships, and excessive highway widening.

Part 5 summarizes how many more Rapid Transit lines and Dedicated Bikeway systemts can enhance mobility in our Top 200 Metro Areas as America grows from 330 million in 2020 to 390 million by 2050.

Part 6, this page, summarizes HOW and WHERE world-class Intercity Passenger Rail should connect America’s main population corridors by 2050 and continue expansion beyond that date.

Critical Importance of High-Speed Rail & Regional Rail

In America, commercial railroading for passengers and freight began in 1830. Trains were pulled by steam locomotives that have since evolved to diesel, bio-diesel and electric power.

Legacy railway is primarily owned by freight rail companies, and secondly, by states that operate Commuter Rail. A small remainder of legacy rail is owned by Amtrak for Intercity Passenger Rail comprised of Long-Distance Rail, Regional Rail, and High-Speed Rail (HSR).

Long-Distance Rail utilizes 100-150 year-old railway infrastructure and diesel or bio-diesel locomotives. Their trains are limited to 30-79 mph speeds best suited for 600-1200-mile scenic journeys that are NOT time-sensitive.

Regional Rail uses the same legacy railway, but with bio-diesel locomotives for shorter journeys.

Since 2022, Northeast Corridor railway finally began its 15-year HSR-Regional Rail modernization while remaining operational. In 2025, the Northeast Corridor began their multi-year roll-out of next-generation electric locomotives for Amtrak Acela. New HSR infrastructure is also under construction in California and Nevada.

Like Western Europe, America has three rail-based Rapid Transit modes: Commuter Rail, Metro Heavy Rail and Metro Light Rail. Commuter Rail also uses legacy railway and diesel or bio-diesel locomotives for daily commutes within a metro area.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is another Rapid Transit mode, but it has slower speeds, lower capacity and lower ridership than rail-based Rapid Transit. For those reasons, Western Europe prefers to build more of what America calls Metro Light Rail than BRT.

Though Western Europe and America share many similarities, Western Europe does Intercity Passenger Rail and Rapid Transit far better than us, so I prefer their Rapid Transit mode names: Commuter Rail is called “Suburban Rail”, Metro Heavy Rail (subway & elevated) is called “Metro Rail”, and Metro Light Rail is called “Tram.”

In general, legacy railway evolves to Modernized Suburban Rail when it includes electric locomotives that accelerate & brake faster than bio-diesel locomotives and includes over/underpasses at some railroad crossings, track upgrades, occasional fencing, and signaling upgrades for stops every 1.5 to 5 miles.

Legacy railway evolves to Modernized Regional Rail when it includes higher voltage electric locomotives, bridge & track upgrades, over/underpasses at most railroad crossings, near-complete fencing, and signaling upgrades for regional trains that make fewer stops per mile than suburban trains.

HSR uses high-to-very high voltage electric locomotives that accelerate & brake faster than bio-diesel locomotives. HSR has bridge, viaduct, embankment, tunnel & track upgrades, advanced high-speed signaling, complete fencing, over/underpasses at every railroad crossing for high-speed trains that make fewer stops per mile than regional trains.

Since electric locomotives do not emit smog, HSR, Modernized Regional Rail & Modernized Suburban Rail trains share track in urban area to enter enclosed and open-air stations. When bio-diesel locomotives include batteries for last-mile operation, their long-distance, regional and suburban trains enter enclosed stations too. Given that HSR, Modernized Regional Rail & Modernized Suburban Rail attract higher ridership, they sparked station upgrades too.

Each year more Sustainable Energy (hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal) enters power plants that support Sustainable Passenger Transportation (HSR, Modernized Regional Rail, Modernized Suburban Rail, Metro Rail, Trams, Electric Bus Rapid Transit, other EV).

For those and other reasons listed below, the International Union of Railways (UIC) strongly encourages more electric-powered HSR, Modernized Regional Rail & Modernized Suburban Rail projects complimented with Metro Rail and Tram expansions.

The UIC categorizes Intercity Passenger Rail speeds in kilometers per hour (kmph), which I translate to miles per hour (mph). Their categories of Intercity Passenger Rail adapt to engineering advances that boost speeds.

The first electric passenger train entered commercial service in 1879 at speeds modestly faster than streetcars. By 1963, top speed for electric trains in commercial operation climbed up to 160 kmph (99 mph). When Japan introduced an electric train whose commercial operation jumped to 210 kmph (130 mph) in 1964, it triggered a new Intercity Passenger Rail hierarchy topped by HSR.

Over 1965-1990, Eastern Asia and Western Europe upgraded legacy railway for 130-150 kmph (81-93 mph) Suburban Rail, 160-180 kmph (99-112 mph) Regional Rail, and 200-220 kmph (124-137 mph) HSR. The UIC officially recognized 200 kmph (124 mph) over most mileage in commercial operation as the Minimum Top Speed for 1st-generation HSR.

Today, many 1st-generation HSR routes have been or are upgrading for 230-270 kmph (143-168 mph) commercial operations. As a result, the UIC officially recognizes 250 kmph (155 mph) over most mileage in commercial operation as the Minimum Top Speed for 2nd-generation HSR.

Since 1988, many new HSR routes were/are designed straighter & flatter for trains to commercially operate up to 280-310 kmph (174-193 mph). Think of them as 3rd-generation HSR.

Since 2007, even straighter & flatter HSR routes were/are designed for trains to commercially operate up to 350-360 kmph (217-224 mph). They are 4th-generation HSR, which some prefer to call “Very High-Speed Rail.” Four nations currently limit passenger trains on them to 320 kmph (199 mph), while China permits up to 350 kmph (217 mph).

This chart identifies distance ranges best suited to passenger rail type or mode.

Passenger capacity is another reason HSR is the linchpin of Sustainable Passenger Transportation, followed by Modernized Regional Rail. Based on similar population in the HSR & Regional corridors of Western Europe we can gauge the scale of Interstate HSR & Regional Rail System we need.

To right-size intercity passenger capacity for 50-75 years, our HSR stations at large & medium metro areas should expand platforms to handle 14-15 car trains. Regional Rail stations at medium & small metro areas should expand to handle 9-10 car trains. Suburban Rail stations should handle 6-8 car trains. Stations must provide services like Medium-to-Large Hub Airports.

Though some new HSR stations locate in the outskirts of small metro areas, a key advantage of city center stations in large & medium metro areas is that Rapid Transit lines provide frequent, inexpensive station access to more travelers and station workers.

There are two other capacity advantages of city center stations. They require far less land than major airports, so it’s cheaper to expand train station capacity than add airport runway and encounters less public objection in metro areas. Second, HSR has the highest passenger capacity using the least amount of land transporting people between the heart of cities. Call this “Capacity Efficiency.”

Modernized Regional Rail is close behind HSR in Capacity Efficiency for intercity travel. Modernized Suburban Rail and Metro Rail have excellent Capacity Efficiency too.

Complete Passenger Transportation Systems in Western Europe & Eastern Asia

As quickly as budgets allow, 30 advanced and emerging nations are balancing Aviation, Intercity Passenger Rail, Highway, Rapid Transit & Dedicated Bikeway construction & modernization for Complete Passenger Transportation Systems. Each mode is optimized for the distance range it best serves.

America’s Incomplete Passenger Transportation System

America’s Highway and Aviation-centric culture did not solely develop from organic consumer demand for more private mobility. As explained in Part 1, corporate conspiracy with government influence nearly killed trains & streetcars.

From 1946 through 2021, Highway and Aviation lobbies convinced politicians to invest over $2 trillion in Highways and $800 billion in Aviation.

In contrast, politicians invested less than $300 billion in Transit, mostly for local buses and school buses. Furthermore, President Obama’s former Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, says we invested only $10 billion in Intercity Passenger Rail from 1949-2017.

Deprioritizing Rapid Transit led to most Metro Rail (Metro Heavy Rail) projects being canceled, underfunded or substituted for slow & infrequent Suburban Rail (Commuter Rail) lines. Nor did a handful of American cities start investing in Trams (Metro Light Rail) until the 1980s.

Deprioritizing Intercity Passenger Rail limits America to only 60 miles of HSR capable of 160 mph and under 500 miles of Modernized Regional Rail capable of 110-125 mph. Only NYC has Modernized Suburban Rail, Metro Rail, Tram and Ferry infrastructure and service comparable to Global Cities of its scale.

Inadequate Intercity Passenger Rail and Rapid Transit infrastucture overloads our Aviation and Highway infrastructure. Too many city center train stations were destroyed or re-purposed. Nor do we have enough Dedicated Bikeways to Rapid Transit stations. The impacts are palpable.

Compared to other advanced nations, the absence of robust Intercity Passenger Rail, Rapid Transit, and upgraded train stations resolved America to More Vehicle Miles Traveled Per Person, More Lanes Per Highway, More Roadway Accidents & Deaths Per Person, and More Parking Spaces Per Person.

Highway congestion saps our economic productivity and face-to-face social time. Excessive regional flights amplify bothersome queues at Hub Airports. The Transportation Sector remains America’s largest source of smog and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions with the Energy Sector close behind.

Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Passenger Transportation

Every advanced and emerging nations must change how curtail Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from Transportation, Energy and Industrial sectors and help preserve rainforest. If America completes enough Sustainable Transportation, Sustainable Energy and Sustainable Private Industry projects towards our 2050 Net-Zero Goal, we can do our part helping the Earth naturally absorb GHG emissions that we produce.

But if advanced and emerging nations don’t reach Net-Zero by 2050, every nation will suffer severe-to-catastrophic impacts from any combination of sea level rise, hurricanes, floods, heat waves, droughts, wildfires and stronger tornadoes.

Staying in my lane, I address Sustainable Passenger Transportation and the Energy to power it. Other advanced nations have proven that a Complete Sustainable Passenger Transportation System requires a commitment to Sustainable Energy (wind, solar, geothermal, existing hydroelectric) and next-gen nuclear energy for electric passenger transportation.

Since they are not tethered to an electric grid, freight rail, airplanes, cargo ships, and cruise ships are gradually switching to Sustainable Biofuel for lower smog & GHG emissions.

China and America are the world’s first and second-largest EV producers, respectively. More Americans are buying EV cars. Amazon, Walmart, USPS, UPS, and FedEx are quickly switching to EV delivery trucks. China and America produce the most Sustainable Energy.

America’s wind & solar energy grew much faster over 2009-24 and more geothermal energy is on the way. All coal-fueled power plants were on pace to switch to lower-emission natural gas by 2028.

That’s good news.

The bad news, according to the U.S. Department of Energy before 2025, is our electric grid loses 65% of its energy and limits solar-powered electricity transferred from the Residential Sector. Our mega-regions still experience blackouts.

To make matters worse, China still fuels too many power plants with coal. The world’s largest rainforests in South America, Central Africa and New Guinea that absorb Carbon Dioxide are shrinking.

Those are flashing red lights for every advanced and emerging nation to modernize their electric grid to eliminate energy leaks. The energy industry calls it a “Smart Electric Grid.”

Though America likely has enough natural gas to help fuel power plants to 2075, natural gas only provides a modest reduction of smog & GHG emissions compared to coal and oil. When natural gas supplies inevitably tighten over time, its unit cost will also rise.

For decades, I was a nuclear energy hater and a wind & solar fanboy. Then I awakened to a reality that we need electric energy when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. I also learned that few additional places in America can produce geothermal energy and that building more hydroelectric dams has worse environmental impacts than next-gen nuclear energy, which has become significantly safer and more efficient.

Hence, natural gas is only a bridge to Sustainable Energy and Next-gen Nuclear Energy feeding a Smart Electric Grid.

The next insight is that Complete Passenger Transportation System progress in America is snail-like for structural and political reasons. To overcome structural reasons faster, we should model after nations that excel at it. Given America’s vast geographical regions with dense population corridors, whose Complete Passenger Transportation System should America primarily model?

Japan and South Korea have political systems of strong personal property & worker rights, but hyper-dense population corridors on a linear archipelago or isthmus, respectively. China has a large varied geography like America, but also has hyper-dense population corridors and a political system of weak personal property & worker rights. Those Eastern Asia traits are too dissimilar from America.

When you combine the nations of Western Europe, it has geography, population corridor densities, strong personal property & worker rights most similar to America’s lower 48 states. It merits a closer look.

Western European Transportation Planning + Smart Land Zoning Benefits

In 1974, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom accelerated HSR, Regional Rail, Suburban Rail, Metro Rail and Tram projects. Over the 1980s-2000s, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, and Austria followed.

Western European nations are expanding Trams in 250,000+ population metro areas, expanding Metro Rail in 1+ million population metro areas, modernizing Suburban Rail in all metro areas, converting to low-emission-biofuel Intercity Buses, and accelerating Dedicated Bikeway construction.

To meet higher ridership demand, Western Europe upgrades train stations with dining, retail, and hotels. They attract a plethora of Intercity Buses, taxis and shared rides too. Many have already morphed into dynamic Intermodal Transportation Centers that increase travel. A respected 2024 report presented at a European Transportation tradeshow also states that up to 81% of people in medium to large European metro areas use Public Transit.

The results are compelling. HSR & Modernized Regional Rail ridership have also cut regional flights, intercity drives, highway accidents, highway widening, smog & GHG emissions.

Analysis by the International Union of Railways (UIC) concludes that the life-cycle CO2 footprint of HSR track construction, train construction, and operation is 14 to 16 times lower than an automobile or airplane. Yet people can still drive well-maintained intercity tollways, rural highways, and fly when they choose.

The big picture is, Western Europeans enjoy better and safer mobility options than Americans despite fewer Regional Flights Per Person, fewer Cars Per Household, fewer Lanes Per Highway, fewer Vehicle Miles Traveled Per Person, and fewer Parking Spaces Per Person. A bonus is that fewer Lanes Per Highway and fewer Vehicle Miles Traveled Per Person greatly reduces their per capita Highway Maintenance Costs.

Those societal benefits explain WHY Europe and Asia continue expanding HSR and modernizing Regional Rail as fast as budgets allow.

French Model for Sustainable Passenger Transportation & Smart Electric Grid

In FY 2025, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor HSR, Regional, and Long-Distance trains attracted a record 34.5 million passengers. That sounds good until one compares it to France, a nation of slightly smaller size than Texas. SNCF, the French railway agency attracted a staggering 1.3 billion passengers in 2024.

Let’s glance at how France does it with 1/6th of America’s population and 1/10th of its economic GDP.

In 1946, just after World War II, the French government tasked SNCF to restore railway and train stations in its 13 largest metro areas. French cities preserved most of their streetcar tracks. Paris resumed Metro Rail expansion.

Once the French colonial war in Vietnam ended in 1954, it freed up more tax dollars and public focus on domestic infrastructure. French government initially built some urban freeways, but that policy changed in 1955.

France issued public guidelines for a private-funded National Tollway System connected to urban freeways. Their public concession system licenses private companies to finance, construct, operate, and maintain French tollways and urban freeways. To minimize rights-of-way (ROW) property acquisition, most rural tollways are limited to 4 lanes, and tollways approaching urban area rarely exceed 6 lanes.

After seeing Japan introduce successful 210 kmph (130 mph) HSR between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, France, Italy and the UK increased public funding beginning 1965 to upgrade their Intercity Passenger Rail to 160-200 kmph (99-124 mph) speeds.

By 1970, France’s SNCF agency recognized that more domestic jobs and international train sales could be had. Both benefits appealed to the French government.

By 1971, France approved a larger SNCF R&D budget to build the world’s fastest HSR system with an initial segment between Paris and its 2nd largest metro area, Lyon. For speeds well above 210 kmph, the HSR system would require more powerful locomotives running on straighter track, tunnels, viaducts and embankments that SNCF calls “Ligne à Grande Vitesse” (High-Speed Line) or simply, LGV.

Though SNCF had experience managing diesel and high-voltage (1.5 KiloVolts) electric infrastructure for trains, it wanted to avoid the added cost of very-high-voltage (25 KiloVolts) electric infrastructure for high-speed trains. Thus, SNCF hired the French company Alstom to develop a more powerful locomotive based on a jet engine. That approach seemed sensible because oil-based jet fuel has high energy density and imported oil was cheap.

Jet Train showed engineering promise when it sustained 270 kmph (168 mph) on LGV test track. That promise vanished, however, in October 1973. To the surprise of the France, United Kingdom, Italy, and America which backed Israel in a Middle East War, OPEC slapped an oil embargo on them. It hit the French economy particularly hard because that nation never had much domestic oil.

Though France had one of the world’s Top 5 Automotive industries in 1974, its government pivoted to less dependency on imported oil by constructing more nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, beginning to upgrade its electric grid capacity sooner, and improving public transportation via:

• Conversion of Streetcars to 3X more capacity Trams in dedicated lanes with fewer stops/mile
• Construction of Metro Rail systems in the 6 largest metro areas
• Construction of 25 KiloVolt electric railway for Regional Rail and later, HSR
• Faster conversion of diesel-powered Suburban Rail to 1.5 KiloVolt electric railway
• Immediate conversion of high-speed train R&D from jet-fueled to electric locomotives

SNCF also upgraded Paris and Lyon train stations and lengthened platforms to handle more passengers. Those infrastructure pivots aligned with the French National Authority for Health’s goal to eliminate particulates emitted from coal-fueled power plants and automobiles — both increase lung disease.

In 1979, SNCF spun off an agency to manage the Train à Grande Vitesse (High-Speed Train) project, commonly called TGV. Shortly after the electric-powered TGV demonstrated that it could match Jet Train speed on the LGV test track in 1979-80, another milestone sequence unfolded:

In 1981, SNCF completed the first legacy rail upgrade to 220 kmph (137 mph) Modernized Regional Rail from Paris, that SNCF calls a “Classic Line.” TGV began commercial operation when that Classic Line connected to a new 270 kmph (168 mph) LGV for its 391 kilometer (243 miles) southeast journey between Paris and Lyon.

In 1988, SNCF upgraded LGV signaling and TGV locomotives to commercially operate up to 300 kmph (186 mph) in the Paris-Lyon corridor.

In 1990, SNCF opened new LGV for TGV service in Paris-LeMans and Paris-Tours corridors, while Japan HSR reached 275 kmph (171 mph).

In 1994, France and the United Kingdom opened the 51-kilometer (31-mile) English Channel Tunnel, enabling Eurostar HSR service in the Paris-Lille-London corridor.

In 1996, SNCF and National Railway Company of Belgium opened a 300 kmph HSR route between Lille and Brussels, enabling new Paris-Lille-Brussels HSR and London-Lille-Brussels HSR routes.

In 2001, SNCF extended the first LGV to 660 kilometers (410 miles) between Paris and Marseille, enabling a 3-hour 4-minute fastest Trip Time on TGV.

This High-Speed Rail Alliance chart illustrates how HSR reduces Carbon Dioxide emissions and Energy Consumption compared to Highway Travel and Air Travel modes in the Paris-Lyon-Valence-Avignon-Marseille TGV Corridor.

On the chart above, small Carbon Dioxide emissions associated with TGV operation were from electric power plants that burned fossil fuels.

In 2007, SNCF introduced a 400 kmph (249 mph) 4th-generation HSR route (Next-gen LGV) between Paris and Strasbourg designed for Next-gen TGV to operate up to 360 kmph (224 mph). Current-gen TGV operate up to 320 kmph (199 mph) on them. Until SNCF approves higher speeds, Next-gen TGV will also be limited to 320 kmph (199 mph) on Next-gen LGV.

By 2016, the Global Warming impacts, higher electric vehicle purchasing, and higher Intercity Passenger Rail & Rapid Transit ridership inspired France to accelerate Smart Electric Grid upgrades that reduce energy loss and better manage higher demand.

By 2017, SNCF expanded LGV and Next-gen LGV to Rennes, Bordeaux, Montpellier, and Mulhouse.

In 2021, Alstom purchased Bombardier and became the world’s 2nd largest train maker. On a per capita basis, train-related jobs in France became as important as automobile-related jobs in America. Every French train station that hosts TGV includes station agents, food & beverage machines, gift shops, and restrooms. Larger stations include coffeehouses, cafes, major retail stores, upgraded passenger amenities, and artwork.

France targets completion of their Smart Electric Grid in 2035. More hydroelectric dam construction is controversial, but France is modernizing legacy nuclear power plants to next-gen nuclear energy, and connecting more low-cost wind & solar energy to the grid.

Next-gen TGV features higher seating capacity, a pivoting lift platform & larger spaces for wheelchair users, better WiFi, improved lighting, wider windows, a better-stocked cafe cabin, and more bike racks for a great passenger experience. To accumulate one million kilometers of pre-operational testing for reliability assurance, Next-gen TGV will debut in April 2026.

In 2045, France anticipates 100% conversion to HSR and Modernized Regional Rail between Large (3+ million pop.), Medium (1.0-2.99 million pop.), and Small (250,000-999,000 pop.) metro areas. More cities in France are following the Paris example of converting streets and parking lots to pedestrian green spaces too.

By making Intercity Passenger Rail and Rapid Transit more attractive and increasing conversion to Sustainable Energy, France is leading the European Union goal to reduce GHG emissions from 8 tons per capita to 2 tons per capita by 2050.

Higher Speeds Shorten Trip Times & Lengthen Competitive Rail Distances

For Trip Time Savings in years past, travelers often drove 130-150 kmph (81-93 mph) on Western Europe tollways. To cut accidents and reduce emissions, European nations limited most tollway speed limits to 120-140 kmph (75-87 mph) and imposed stiff speeding fines. Even Germany’s famous Autobahn has shrinking No Speed Limit mileage. Combined with toll booths, fuel & refreshment stops most intercity drives now average 110-120 kmph (69-75 mph).

Total Air Travel Time equals ground transport to & from airports, airport queues, and flight time. In Western Europe, Total Air Travel Time for 850 kilometer flights (528 miles) average about the same as in America.

I have rode on TGV at top speeds ranging from 270-320 kmph on LGV, 180-220 kmph on French Classic Lines (Modernized Regional Rail), and 150-160 kmph shortly after leaving & before entering stations. My chart below approximates European Intercity Passenger Rail Speeds that are common 3 and 3.5-hour Trip Distances.

There several more takeaways from the chart. Currently, the fastest trains in Europe operate at 320 kmph (199 mph) Top Speed for 240 kmph (149 mph) Average Speed. They should have ridership attractiveness up to 522 miles in 3.5 hours because a train operator could schedule 1.5 more roundtrips with the same labor cost in a 19-hour workday.

European Passenger Rail agencies have similar charts for Average Speeds derived from Top Speeds based actual train slowdowns in old tunnels & curves, lower speeds entering & exiting stations, distances between station stops, and passenger dwell times on station platforms before boarding. They found that HSR rides up to 3.5 hours + 5 to 45-minute Rapid Transit/Taxi/Uber/Bike/Walk options attract higher ridership than Regional Flights + Rapid Transit/Rental Car/Taxi/Uber options in the same corridors.

In pursuit of Trip Time Savings to replace more intercity drives and regional flights, they are increasing HSR, Modernized Regional Rail, and Rapid Transit ridership via:

• New 280-360 kmph (174-224 mph) HSR routes
• Modernizing early 200-250 kmph (124-155 mph) HSR routes to 230-270 kmph (143-168 mph)
• Modernizing early 150-180 kmph (93-112 mph) Regional Rail routes to 180-220 kmph (112-137 mph)
• Making station platforms level with train floors to cut dwell times when boarding
• Introducing cheap Coach Class seating on HSR along with Business Class & Premium seating
• Increasing car-free access to Intermodal Transportation Centers by expanding Rapid Transit lines & Dedicated Bike Lanes
• Attracting Public-Private-Partnerships to upgrade Intermodal Transportation Centers with dining, retail & hotels

Though many Western Europe network gaps will be filled between 2026-40, the Trip Time Savings & Cost Savings of HSR-Modernized Regional Rail + Rapid Transit + Biking already reduce per capita intercity drives. For many routes in France, Spain and Italy, even 2- & 3-passenger groups are switching to trains because its cost competitive with driving.

In summary, these practices constitute a Western Europe Cheat Code for successful HSR, Modernized Regional Rail, Rapid Transit, and Intermodal Transportation Centers.

Given that France is the world’s most visited country, Paris CDG Airport will always be busy. Tourism to Lyon is also growing via frequent HSR service and its central France location with close proximity to Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Nice, French Alps, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

The French government wants to spread more international tourism to Paris around France and eliminate regional flights between its large metro areas. To meet those goals, France is investing 100 billion Euros ($117 billion in 2025 value) for Intercity Passenger Rail upgrades from 2024 to 2040.

By 2040, France will have over 3000 LGV miles interconnecting thousands of Regional Rail miles. TGV ridership will remain high on routes up to 4 hours because most trips have different origins and endpoints that last 1 to 3 hours and a number of travels still prefer the train up to 4 hours. Many travelers prefer trains over airplanes, even when Total Trip Times match.

With insights from Speed-Distance and Ridership charts, SNCF, TGV, and Alstom reasoned that Next-gen TGV operating faster on Next-gen LGV can increase ridership and further reduce intercity drives & regional flights. Combined with Modernized Regional Rail, Paris or Lyon will connect to the Top 25 Destinations in France in under 3.5 hours by 2040.

Next-gen TGV is branded TGV M in France and marketed as Avelia Horizon for global sales. TGV M is a bi-level train designed for 30% lower maintenance cost, 30% less weight, 20% more energy efficiency, and 20% more cabin space than current TGV.

Boarding and exiting will also be faster via better door placement and a pivoting-lift platform for wheelchairs. For example, shorter Dwell Times can reduce an otherwise 3 hour 15-minute Trip Time to 3 hours.

Like testing delays for Next-gen Boeing and Airbus jets, similar testing delays hit TGV M, now scheduled to enter commercial operation in early 2026.

Nevertheless, interest in Avelia Horizon remains high. Two private train operators in France are purchasing them to compete with TGV M, and several other nations are placing Avelia Horizon orders.

Train Frequency, Schedule Reliability & Safety

Aside from Trip Time Savings and Lower Fares, all travelers value train frequency, schedule reliability, and safety. Some travelers also value a lower Carbon Dioxide footprint for each mile of travel.

Higher speeds enable more frequent trains/hour via the same number of trains and same staffing level. Depending on a corridor’s population, it’s also proven that 36-92 daily roundtrips maximize HSR ridership. Similarly, 24-34 daily roundtrips maximize Regional Rail ridership in medium population corridors.

Roundtrips in Western Europe HSR routes are increasing due to state-owned high-speed trains from France, Germany, Italy, and Spain competing with each other. The entrance of more privately owned high-speed trains further increases train frequencies and yields lower Coach Class fares.

Switzerland proves that very high speed is not required in compact geographies. It is only 22% larger than Maryland, and its 6 largest cities are 20-60 miles apart in a single 170-mile zig-zag corridor.

Most passenger trains in that Alpine country only run at 180-230 kmph (112-143 mph). Their combined 5 to 20-minute train frequencies, 98% Schedule Reliability, and inexpensive passenger rail pass attract the Highest Ridership Per Passenger Rail Kilometer in Europe.

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands typically operate HSR at 89-95% schedule reliability, which clobbers Air Travel’s schedule reliability.

There’s also a safety advantage. Since April 2025, TGV has transported over 2 billion passengers on LGV without a single passenger death in commercial operation. TGV has only experienced a few accidents on slower legacy rail that has level railroad crossings remaining.

Benefits Over Costs Suggest Higher TGV M Speeds To Come

Standard LGV will constrain TGV M to 300 kmph (186 mph) Top Speed. TGV M is certified to commercially operate up to 400 kmph (249 mph) on Next-gen LGV. Initially, TGV management planned commercial operation 10% slower at 360 kmph (224 mph) on Next-gen LGV to hold the line on energy and maintenance costs.

Currently, however, France has more important considerations than Trip Time Savings alone.

As the leader of the Paris Climate Agreement since 2016, France has replaced nearly all coal-fueled power plants with nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas, geothermal, wind & solar energy. While the Russia-Ukraine War limits natural gas supplies to Europe, France is builds wind, solar, and geothermal energy projects faster. It is also upgrading old nuclear power plants to next-gen standards.

When France completes its Smart Electric Grid by 2035, it will ban the sale of new gasoline & diesel automobiles.

Consistent with its environmental leadership, France wants to demonstrate faster progress to Net Zero via lower smog & GHG emissions coupled with higher energy efficiency on passenger trains. Thus, TGV M’s planned introduction for commercial operation on Next-gen LGV was revised down to 320 kmph (199 mph).

A French-Italian rail tunnel under the Alps opens in 2032, which will attract more Italian high-speed trains on LGV. Over 2027-33, Nextgen LGVs are opening from Bordeaux to Toulouse, and from Paris through Dijon to the Swiss border. A standard LGV or Next-gen LGV will open in Southeast France for more high-speed trains with Spain. Germany is upgrading HSR routes from Mannheim, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart to meet Next-gen LGV at two borders with France.

France introduced the first train certified for 360 kmph and the first HSR route certified for 400 kmph in commercial operation. France set a speed record for a steel-wheel train at 575 kmph (357 mph) on Nextgen LGV. Yet, no one speaks of France having the world’s fastest trains anymore.

Last decade, Japan matched France with 320 kmph trains in commercial operation. In 2017, China became the HSR speed leader with 350 kmph (217 mph) trains in commercial operation. Japan plans to match that commercial operating speed by 2029. California HSR’s 354 kmph (220 mph) trains debut in early 2031, and the United Kingdom’s 354 kmph trains debut in 2032.

TGV M will replace all current TGV train sets over 2025-31. Making TGV M one of the world’s fastest steel-wheel trains would be good press for Alstom’s global sales.

Each year, more wind, solar & geothermal power join nuclear & hydropower production, and the Smart Electric Grid prevents more energy loss in France. France is also upgrading many old nuclear power plants to more efficient next-gen nuclear power. Lower unit costs for electricity should eventually result.

Operating TGV M up to 360 kmph Top Speed would enable more daily round trips at the same labor costs and reasonable energy costs to generate higher operating profits.

There’s another incentive to unleash TGV M to 360 kmph next decade. The French and British maintain a rivalry of bragging rights over things large and small. Given national pride in TGV, I strongly doubt France allowing the United Kingdom to boast of faster trains in 2032.

More Best Practices from German, Italian & Swiss HSR Experience

Since Germany has a denser population than France, it prioritized building a web-like system of upgraded HSR & Regional Rail mileage to attract more passengers per mile than the hub & spoke network of French HSR & Regional Rail. European Union statistics back that up

Over 2026-40, Germany is expanding that web by connecting its HSR lines to more borders with France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden HSR lines.

Given its web-like system is well suited to Chicago-Midwest passenger rail corridors, Germany should be America’s second most important HSR & Regional Rail model.

The German company Siemens recently introduced a Next-gen high-speed train called “ICE 3neo.” The German railway agency, “DB”, is upgrading 1st-generation and 2nd-generation HSR routes and building more 3rd-generation HSR routes to enable shorter Trip Times systemwide.

Switzerland has built 22- and 35-mile rail tunnels under the Alps certified for trains to operate up to 250 kmph (155 mph). Their success means bolsters confidence to build long HSR tunnels in California and Pennsylvania.

To connect more cities to Rome in under 3.5 hours, the Trenitalia rail agency plans to upgrade its 1st-generation Rome-Florence HSR segment to reach 270 kmph (168 mph). The rest of Italy’s HSR network is being designed for 250 kmph or 300 kmph.

Travelers within Italy also benefit from privately owned Italo high-speed trains competing with state-owned Trenitalia high-speed trains, resulting in higher train frequencies per route and lower fares. When Amtrak routes are upgraded to HSR, they should have high-speed train competition too.

If you’d like nerdy details on how their speed, capacity, frequency, reliability, and safety are achieved, see Interstate Passenger Rail Taxonomy.

America Should Prioritize HSR Project Completions

Though it would have been cheaper to modernize Intercity Passenger Rail, expand Rapid Transit lines and upgrade stations to Intermodal Transportation Centers decades sooner, we can use the Western Europe Cheat Code to build smarter.

Among HSR advocates, there is debate over the minimum HSR Top Speeds America should pursue. Though most of prefer 185-220 mph top speeds, Western Europe Cheat Code proves that 155-174 HSR corridors can also be successful.

Many Western Europe HSR corridors received less expensive track & signal upgrade for standard trains to go 230-240-250 kmph (143-149-155 mph) thru modest curves. Today, many are switching to modern tilt trains that comfortably sustain 250-260-270 kmph (155-162-168 mph) thru modest curves.

To grow HSR miles faster, America should do likewise in many corridors.

1st Public-Owned HSR Funding Priority

America’s Northeast Region has 45 million residents and attracts the most domestic and international visitors. It has the most Rapid Transit lines connecting to Amtrak and commuter trains.

Amtrak has upgraded 36 miles in the Boston-Southeastern Connecticut segment and 24 miles in the New Brunswick-Trenton segment for Next-gen Acela trains to reach 160 mph.

Recently, President Biden awarded Amtrak Northeast Corridor HSR $16 billion of its $30 billion USDOT commitment for its Phase 1 Upgrade.

Next-gen Acela trains called Avelia Liberty are derived from Avelia Horizon technology. They debut in July 2025. Its tilting feature enables about 10 mph higher speed in curves. Faster entry & exit via wider doors are part of the improved onboard experience.

The Washington-NYC’s 2-hour 51-minute Trip Time via old Acela in 2024 should initially reduce to 2 hours 42 minutes on Avelia Liberty. Boston-NYC’s 3-hour 35-minute Trip Time via Old Acela should reduce to 3 hours 30 minutes on Avelia Liberty. Train frequency will also increase by nearly 50%.

By 2036, completed tunnel, bridge, track, electrical, and signaling projects will upgrade more rural mileage to 160 mph and urban mileage to 90-100 mph. Avelia Liberty Trip Time should reduce to 2 hours 30 minutes, and Boston-NYC Trip Time should reduce to 3 hours 10 minutes.

Avelia Liberty frequency will increase again, as schedule reliability surpassed 90% in the NYC-Washington segment and 85% in the NYC-Boston segment.

More upgrades are planned over 2037-45 for significantly higher speeds, capacity, train frequencies, and schedule reliability.

2nd Public-Owned HSR Funding Priority

The 496-mile California HSR Phase 1 project covers the San Francisco-Anaheim corridor with a northern spur to Merced. When complete, it will showcase 220 mph from Merced to Palmdale segment and 90-110 mph in urban areas for a San Francisco-Los Angeles 2-hour 40-minute Express Trip Time. Regional flight delays in California are increasing. The state will reach reach 40 million population by 2040.

Those factors and more Amtrak Regional Rail, Commuter Rail, Metro Rail & BRT connectivity should drive California HSR well beyond the 31 million annual rider forecast by 2040.

Due to numerous funding delays, California HSR mega-project is now estimated to cost between $100-128 billion. The state of California is committing over $33 billion. To date, the USDOT has only granted 6% of funds ($6.7 billion) directly to the mega-project.

In 2024, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) granted $3.4 billion of lead funding for a modern Commuter Rail tunnel into downtown San Francisco. In January 2025, the FTA planned to allocate an additional $500 million towards tunnel. California HSR trains will eventually use the same tunnel.

The 171-mile Merced-Bakersfield HSR segment in Central California is on pace to begin commercial operation in late 2030. Many Amtrak San Joaquin riders from Oakland and Sacramento will transfer at California HSR Merced Station for high-speed rides south to Fresno, Kings/Tulare, and Bakersfield. I can’t predict when federal funding will arrive to spark more state and county funding to extend from Central California to Gilroy and San Jose.

Due to federal, state & local politics, personal property rights, environmental clearances, engineering design, and construction challenges, all Highway, Airport, HSR & Rapid Transit mega-projects seem to take 8-14 years to complete in America.

The 450 miles of I-95 Highway between Boston and Washington took over 30 years to complete. We should not be surprised that a straighter 496-mile Phase 1 HSR mega-project through two mountain ranges will also take 30 years to complete.

1st Private-Public-Owned HSR Project Priority

The Los Angeles-Las Vegas corridor has the most regional flights in America. Brightline West received a $3 billion grant from Biden’s USDOT to combine with $13 billion in private funding for its planned 185 mph train service from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, a suburb 40 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles.

Brightline West plans to construct the 218-mile Las Vegas-Victor Valley-Rancho Cucamonga HSR corridor in 4 years by mostly using the I-15 Freeway median.

Brightline West has learned California HSR lessons to minimize mistakes on this mega-project. Nevertheless, unexpected things often add 1-2 years to construction and higher costs. For example, Brightline West recently announced that it also needs a $5.5 billion loan from USDOT, which sums to a $21.5 billion project.

After all the infrastructure is built, 9-12 months of systems testing is required for public utility certification. Therefore, I anticipate Brightline West opening in 2030.

It will primarily draw ridership from nearly 7 million residents in eastern Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and northern Orange County. For most, Total Trip Time (including drives to/from Rancho Cucamonga) to the Las Vegas Strip will be 3 hours or less.

Later in the 2030s, Brightline West would like to extend HSR tracks from Victor Valley to Palmdale, then switch to California HSR tracks for 1-seat train rides into Burbank Airport and Los Angeles Union Station in less than 3 hours.

3rd Public HSR-Regional Rail Funding Priority

Chicago is the hub of five major passenger rail corridors. The two largest corridors connect 20 million people in Milwaukee-Chicago-Hammond/Gary-Kalamazoo-Detroit and Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis corridors have ideal spacing for HSR service. Though small Amtrak Regional upgrades were completed in the 2010s, their train speeds & frequencies remain too low to attract high ridership.

Amtrak Hiawatha trains from Milwaukee only reach 79 mph in the 86 miles to Chicago, with 7 daily roundtrips that terminate at the north concourse of Chicago Union Station.

Amtrak Wolverine trains from Detroit only reach 110 mph in part of the 237 miles to Chicago, with 3 daily roundtrips terminating at the south concourse of Chicago Union Station.

Amtrak Lincoln and Missouri Runner trains from St. Louis only reach 110 mph in part of the 284 miles to Chicago, with 5 daily roundtrips terminating at the south concourse of Chicago Union Station.

The main concourse of Chicago Union Station is airy and beautiful, but the lower stairs and boarding platforms are too low and cramped for larger passenger volumes. Oglivie Transit Station hosts Chicago Metro Rail and some Chicago Metra Commuter Rail trains 2 blocks north. The two stations do not connect tracks & platforms for easy transfers.

South of Chicago Union Station, Amtrak, and commuter trains cross a maze of freight rail tracks that slow passenger rail speeds and delay freight rail movements.

The Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) only received a $100 million USDOT grant to combine with state, county & city funding to fix Chicago Union Station. It still lacks a convenient underground connection with Oglivie Transit Station for travelers and commuters.

In the next round of USDOT funding, the railway maze of the south of Chicago Union Station should receive a USDOT grant for a Crosstown Connector and more miles of 110 mph passenger track between downtown and a few miles south of Chicago Union Station.

At current funding levels, train frequencies to Detroit and St. Louis will only rise to 8 daily round trips. That’s nowhere close to the HSR potential of these high population corridors over relatively flat land.

Given our 2025-28 political climate, I believe the most practical upgrade for Chicago Hub is to focus on a 323-mile Chicago-Gary/Hammond-Kalamazoo-Ann Arbor-Detroit HSR corridor, where most of the right-of-way is owned by Amtrak or state transportation agencies.

Illinois and Indiana manage 4-to-2 tracks of electric commuter rail from the northern Illinois border to Michigan City, Indiana. Amtrak owns 97 miles from Porter, Indiana to Kalamazoo. Michigan owns 135 miles from Kalamazoo to the Dearborn suburb of Detroit. High Speed Rail Alliance describes corridor upgrades required in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

In summary, the route needs a 50-mile high-speed bypass, 60-65 railroad over/underpasses, modern signaling & electrification, and electric tilt trains to reach 110, 125, 150, and 160 mph in various segments for a difference-making 105 mph Average Speed by 2037. The existing Amtrak route can remain open during construction.

4th Public HSR Funding Priority

Southeast HSR in the Washington-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte-Greenville-Atlanta corridor has over 20 million population in the nation’s fastest-growing mega-region. In 2023, the Washington-Richmond-Raleigh segment received $1.8 billion in federal grants to combine with a couple of billion more from Amtrak, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Highlights of this funding cycle are a second railway bridge across the Potomac River, mild curve-straightening between Washington, DC, and Richmond, and the purchase of an S-Line freight rail corridor (below) to create a straighter Passenger Rail route between Richmond and Raleigh.

When the project is completed, Amtrak plans commercial operation up to 110 mph and 10-12 daily roundtrips in the corridor. Compared to Intercity Passenger Rail in Western Europe, this project is another disappointment. Nor has ROW been purchased for a straighter Raleigh-Greensboro-Charlotte route.

Given the 400-mile corridor’s population, growth rate, and spacing between large metro areas, it’s better suited for 185 mph HSR and 34-36 daily roundtrip services to cut highway congestion and regional flights between Washington, Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, and Charlotte. To accommodate such speeds, more ROW property acquisition is urgently needed before development jacks up ROW costs.

2nd Private HSR Project Priority

Another private company, Texas Central Railway wants to break ground on a 205 mph Dallas-Houston HSR route serving the fast-growing 16+ million-person 240-mile corridor. Stations are currently planned a few blocks south of downtown Dallas and in Northwest Houston. Texas Central plans to build Transportation-Oriented Development on land it owns next to stations.

When complete, this project will anchor extensions from Dallas to Fort Worth. Later it can extend to Austin and San Antonio.

Until Texas Central overcomes Trump Administration and NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) obstacles preventing Environmental Clearance and ROW Acquisition, the 100% Engineering Design required for Construction Start is delayed. Perhaps its recent Amtrak partnership will help break the logjam.

Accelerate More Interstate HSR Projects To Enter Construction

To save on construction cost, some HSR routes can be built less expensively for non-tilt trains to operate at 145 mph, and tilt trains to comfortably operate up to 160 mph, like Amtrak Northeast Corridor. America has many other 200 to 500-mile corridors ideal for 170-220 mph HSR speeds.

If Federal Railroad funding is multiplied, then more states and private investors will co-fund these HSR projects to enter construction over 2026-35:

• Minneapolis-Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago
• Chicago-Springfield-St Louis
• Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh
• Atlanta-Greenville-Charlotte
• Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville
• Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit
• Chicago-Indianapolis-Dayton
• Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati
• Portland-Seattle-Vancouver
• NYC-Albany

Combined with the current HSR projects under construction, the majority of Americans would finally believe that a robust Interstate HSR System is coming.

Upgrades for Public & Private Regional Rail

By January 2025, monthly ridership in most of the 25 state-supported Amtrak Regional routes approached pre-pandemic levels. That’s welcome news, but not cause to celebrate because a dozen merit 150-200 mph HSR upgrades for high ridership.

The remaining Amtrak Regional routes in sub-250-mile corridors merit 110-125 mph Regional Rail upgrades. Amtrak California routes are prime examples of massive ridership potential if Regional Rail upgrades are completed by 2035-37.

Florida is fortunate to have the private-owned Brightline Florida Regional Rail operator between Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando Airport. It currently features 16 daily round trips. Their station & onboard experience, and low-emission diesel-electric trains are top-shelf. Later this decade, Brightline Florida will benefit from a new river bridge too.

Brightline Florida can not, however, approach its ridership potential until it provides 100-110 mph in urban areas, 34 daily roundtrips, and 125 mph extensions to Disney Springs and Tampa. To reach those goals, another short bridge must be replaced, 50 railroad overpasses must be built, and 25-30 streets must be closed at railroad crossings. Railroad over/underpasses are public-owned and cost $80-$125 million each. Street closures can be done for less than $100,000 each by cities. The entire route must be fenced for safety.

Brightline proves private company investment in HSR and Regional Rail. So another takeaway is America’s latent demand for more Public-Private-Partnership in HSR and Regional Rail.

More Federal Funding for Sustainable Passenger Transportation?

In November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) ensured that Infrastructure Week would no longer be a running joke in government circles.

Larger USDOT grants arrived over 2022-24 and triggered states, counties & private companies to announce more Intercity Passenger Rail and Rapid Transit projects. My conclusion in Part 7 summarizes HOW much public and private funding is needed and potentially obtainable for a robust Interstate High-Speed Rail System and upgraded Regional Rail by 2050.

Part 7: Interstate High Speed Rail Funding