• Mirshe@lemmy.world
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    29 days ago

    Actually, the trains aren’t moving faster. I don’t think there’s a single significant span of passenger rail rated for more than 60mph in the US.

      • Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works
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        29 days ago

        That’s because Amtrak only owns their own rails in the NEC (North East Corridor) Boston-NYC-Philly-DC. Everywhere else they are riding on privately owned freight railroad tracks, and the Amtrak trains are often shunted for freight to have priority.

        • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          28 days ago

          If the government owns the lines, it’s a different story, but most of the rail lines in the US are privately owned. So in most of the US commuter rail is using freight tracks on contract, with one of the stipulations being that the freight trains get priority.

          • frezik@midwest.social
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            28 days ago

            Other way around. Amtrak does have priority on all tracks per the 1973 Amtrak Improvement Act. However, this isn’t enforced, and the rail companies are kicking and screaming to keep it from being enforced.

            • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              28 days ago

              Interesting. I had heard that many of the rail lines are used under contract because they’re privately owned by the freight companies and that the freight trains having priority was a stipulation of those contracts. Not the lines marked on this map, as those are Amtrak lines, but all the other ones across the country. It might be a local commuter rail thing or something.

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
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                27 days ago

                Oh no, that’s not owned by Amtrak. Amtrak owns the NEC Boston to DC, but very little of the rest

                The map is Amtrak service, which commonly runs on track owned by freight carriers

    • maevyn@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      29 days ago

      NY to DC is solid, it’s the one inter-metro train I’ve taken that’s faster than driving or flying (when accounting for security and travel to/from the airport).

      Using it really makes you realize how much better the train system could be. Not even bullet trains, and they’re so much better than cars.

    • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
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      29 days ago

      Brightline from Orlando to Miami. It’s not fast by international standards but certainly more than 60mph

      It’s also super expensive so…

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      27 days ago

      The NEC (Acela) is for most of its track, however it’s the same deal only at a higher level.

      In theory it’s high speed rail, but only about 50 miles is actually rated at 150 mph, the rest is various speeds lower. There’s some century+ old infrastructure taking it down to like 25 mph in spots. Average speeds end up more like 70 mph.