Amtrak launches "future of high-speed rail" on line between Boston and Washington DC

American railroad company Amtrak has launched a fleet of new trains along the US east coast that will run 10mph (16km/h) faster than current models and are the "first high-speed trains built in America", according to their manufacturer.

Five out of twenty-eight new Acela NextGen trains roll out today on a route between Boston, New York City and Washington DC, as part of a wider "modernization" effort by Amtrak, which includes new trains for a Pacific Northwest route set to debut in 2026.

The Acela NextGen trains will hit a top speed of 160mph (257km/h), according to Amtrak, which is about 10mph (16km/h) faster than the current fastest Acela trains in the US that reach 150mph (241km/h).

While this top speed is about 126mph (203km/h) slower than the world's fastest train in China, the Shanghai Maglev, it qualifies the NextGen as a high-speed rail by some definitions, as it varies by state and country.

The Paris-based organisation International Union of Railways defines the term as trains reaching 155mph (250 km/h) on new, purpose-built lines, or 125mph (200km/h) on upgraded existing lines, the latter of which applies to Acela's NextGen.

The launch was announced via a press conference by Amtrak, United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and manufacturer Alstom on Wednesday.

"Acela is synonymous with American high-speed trains, and today marks a new era of next-generation service," said Amtrak President Roger Harris. "The future of high-speed rail starts now."

Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge called the new fleet "the first high-speed trains built in America" and emphasised the trains' manufacturing in Hornell, New York as "in America, for America".

Other high-speed rail projects are in development or under construction in the US, such as California's High Speed Rail, which Foster & Partners is creating staions for, and a completely new line from Dallas to Houston called Texas Central.

Funded by a combination of federal, state and private sources, these high-speed projects often face setbacks, such as the Trump Administration pulling funding for the California and Texas projects this year.

Public support also varies by project. A recent poll showed 62 per cent of Californians in favor of a statewide high-speed rail, while lawmakers in Texas generally lean anti-rail.

Following the launch of NextGen, Amtrak released a more detailed timeline for the long-awaited renovation of New York Penn Station.

While design proposals will begin this fall, HOK and PAU previously submitted a proposal and Grand Penn Community Alliance submitted a design that includes completely relocating Madison Square Garden.

The photography is courtesy of Amtrak

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