High-speed rail in the United States dates back to the High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965. Various state and federal proposals have followed. Despite being one of the world's first countries to get high-speed trains (the Metroliner service in 1969), they are still limited to the East Coast and the Midwest of the United States. Definitions of what constitutes high-speed rail vary; the United States Department of Transportation defines high-speed rail as trains with a top speed of and above. Inter-city rail with top speeds between is referred to in the United States as higher-speed rail, though some states define high-speed rail with top speeds above . The New York Times and Al Jazeera, however, do not consider the United States to have any high-speed rail.
Amtrak's Acela, operating between Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts, is North America's fastest rail service, reaching a top speed of on a total of of track along the Northeast Corridor. Between Washington, DC, and New York City, the Acela operates at an average speed of .The timetable gives 2 hours and 45 minutes, minimum, between Washington and New York. Dividing that into the distance traveled, , gives an average speed of . NextGen Acela reaches top speeds of on of its route. The Times said the NexGen Acela was "not, however, meaningfully faster, and still lag[ging] far behind high-speed rail in countries like China, Japan and France, where trains can surpass 200 mph." Speeds are limited by the age of the Northeast Corridor's infrastructure and catenary wires.
Amtrak's Northeast Regional service, while slower than the Acela, reaches a top speed of on some portions of its route, with an average speed of more than . With more than 12 million riders in 2025, the Northeast Regional is Amtrak's most popular high-speed train.
In total, Amtrak's high-speed services (Acela, Northeast Regional, Lincoln Service, etc.) achieved a historical ridership of about 22 million passengers, 64% of Amtrak's total ridership in 2025.
Florida's Brightline is the first privately owned high-speed rail company in the United States. Brightline trains achieve a top speed of along of newly built track, though most of the route is limited to a top speed of due to the presence of grade crossings, with speeds at or less in urban areas.
Brightline West, another venture of Brightline, is currently under construction between the Las Vegas Valley and Rancho Cucamonga in the Greater Los Angeles area. Trains will reach a top speed of and service is expected to begin in September 2029.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is working on the California High-Speed Rail project, connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Central Valley section, between Merced and Bakersfield, will have a maximum speed of and is planned to begin passenger service by 2030.
List of high-speed intercity trains in the United States All trains are operated by Amtrak, with the exception of Brightline. Trains with top speeds of are also included. +East CoastService nameRouteTop speedAverage speed (including stops)Route LengthHigh Speed Line / SectionEquipment TypeNotesAcelaWashington, DC–Boston, MAAcela Express trainset: Avelia Liberty trainset:Northeast CorridorElectric trainsetNortheast RegionalWashington, DC–Boston, MA, and other routesElectric/diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesWill be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets.BrightlineMiami, FL–Orlando, FLFlorida East Coast Railway, BrightlineDiesel-electric trainsetKeystone ServiceNew York, NY–Harrisburg, PAPhiladelphia–Harrisburg Main Line (Keystone Corridor), Northeast CorridorElectric locomotive-hauled coachesWill be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets.PennsylvanianNew York, NY–Pittsburgh, PAElectric/diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesCarolinianNew York, NY–Charlotte, NCNortheast CorridorVermonterWashington, DC–St. Albans, VTNew Haven–Springfield Line, Northeast CorridorValley FlyerNew Haven, CT–Greenfield, MANew Haven–Springfield LineDiesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesAmtrak Hartford LineNew Haven, CT–Springfield, MAEmpire ServiceNew York, NY–Niagara Falls, NYEmpire CorridorElectric/diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesWill be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets.Maple LeafNew York, NY–Toronto, ONEthan Allen ExpressNew York, NY–Burlington, VTAdirondackNew York, NY–Montreal, QC +MidwestService nameRouteTop speedAverage speed (including stops)Route lengthHigh Speed Line / SectionEquipment TypeNotesLincoln ServiceChicago, IL–St. Louis, MOJoliet Subdivision & Springfield Subdivision (Union Pacific)Diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesLincoln Service Missouri River RunnerChicago, IL - Kansas City, MOWolverineChicago, IL–Pontiac, MIMichigan LineBlue WaterChicago, IL–Port Huron, MI +West CoastService nameRouteTop speedAverage speed (including stops)Route LengthEquipment TypeHigh Speed Line / SectionNotesPacific SurflinerSan Diego, CA–San Luis Obispo, CADiesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesCoast Line & Surf LineGenerally defined as higher-speed rail'
List of high-speed long-distance trains in the United States All high-speed long-distance trains have sleeping cars, with the exception of the Palmetto. All trains are operated by Amtrak. Service nameRouteTop speedAverage speed (including stops)Route LengthHigh Speed Line / SectionEquipment TypeNotesNew York, NY–Savannah, GANortheast CorridorElectric/diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesWill be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets.New York, NY–Miami, FLNew York, NY–New Orleans, LANew York, NY–Chicago, ILNew York, NY–Chicago, IL Boston, MA–Chicago, IL (New York, NY–Chicago, IL) (Boston, MA–Chicago, IL) (New York, NY–Chicago, IL) (Boston, MA–Chicago, IL)Empire CorridorTexas EagleChicago, IL–San Antonio, TX (Joins tri-weekly with the Sunset Limited at San Antonio and continues on to Los Angeles)
Chicago, IL–Los Angeles, CA (Chicago, IL–San Antonio, TX) (San Antonio, TX–Los Angeles, CA section) (Chicago, IL–San Antonio, TX) (Chicago, IL–Los Angeles, CA)Joliet Subdivision & Springfield Subdivision (Union Pacific)Diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesGenerally defined as higher-speed rail'Southwest ChiefChicago, IL–Los Angeles, CABNSF, Amtrak
List of high-speed commuter trains in the United States Service nameRouteTop speedAverage speed (including stops)Route LengthEquipment TypeHigh Speed Line / SectionNotesMARC Penn LineWashington, DC–Perryville, MDElectric/diesel-electric locomotive-hauled coachesNortheast CorridorThe fastest commuter trains in the United StatesNJ Transit Northeast Corridor LineNew York, NY–Trenton, NJN/AN/AElectric/electro-diesel locomotive-hauled coaches
List of high-speed rail lines in the United States +NameRouteTop SpeedSection Length110 mph+ High-speed Services BeganNortheast CorridorWashington, DC–Boston, MA1969 (Washington-New York), 2000 (New York-Boston)Brightline Cocoa–OrlandoCocoa, FL–Orlando, FL2023Empire CorridorNew York, NY–Niagara Falls, NY (Buffalo, NY)2012Philadelphia–Harrisburg Main Line (Keystone Corridor)Philadelphia, PA–Harrisburg, PA2006Michigan LinePorter, IN (Chicago, IL)–Dearborn, MI (Detroit, MI)2012Joliet Subdivision & Springfield Subdivision (Union Pacific)Joliet,IL (Chicago, IL)–Alton,IL (St. Louis, MO)2012New Haven–Springfield LineNew Haven, CT–Springfield, MA2018Florida East Coast Railway (Brightline)West Palm Beach, FL (Miami, FL)–Cocoa, FL2023Total:
Definitional issues
Authorities in the United States maintain various definitions of high-speed rail. The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), an entity in the executive branch, defines it as rail service with top speeds ranging from or higher.
For transportation planning purposes focusing on the development of high-speed rail, the USDOT distinguishes four types of intercity passenger rail corridors: High-Speed Rail – Express: Frequent, express service between major population centers apart, with few intermediate stops. Top speeds of at least on completely grade-separated, dedicated rights-of-way (with the possible exception of some shared track in terminal areas). Intended to relieve air and highway capacity constraints. High-Speed Rail – Regional: Relatively frequent service between major and moderate population centers apart, with some intermediate stops. Top speeds of , grade-separated, with some dedicated and some shared track (using positive train control technology). Intended to relieve highway and, to some extent, air capacity constraints. Emerging High-Speed Rail: Developing corridors of , with strong potential for future HSR Regional and/or Express service. Top speeds of up to on primarily shared track (eventually using positive train control technology), with advanced grade crossing protection or separation. Intended to develop the passenger rail market, and provide some relief to other modes. Conventional Rail: Traditional intercity passenger rail services of more than 100 miles with as little as one to as many as 7–12 daily frequencies; may or may not have strong potential for future high-speed rail service. Top speeds of up to to as high as generally on shared track. Intended to provide travel options and to develop the passenger rail market for further development in the future.
Other entities within the federal government have adopted yet more definitions. In rail funding legislation, the United States Congress has variously defined high-speed rail as services that are "reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than 125 miles per hour" (1998) or "reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 miles per hour" (2008). The Federal Railroad Administration has eschewed speed-based definitions entirely, proffering that high-speed rail is any service "that is time-competitive with air and/or auto for travel markets in the approximate range of 100 to 500 miles".
State-level departments of transportation and council of governments may also use different definitions for high-speed rail. For examples, the North Central Texas Council of Governments uses the definition of speeds over , and the Texas Department of Transportation and Oklahoma Department of Transportation use speeds of or more. These agencies have a separate category for higher-speed rail which can be a wide range of speeds between and .
History The development of the American rail network during the 19th century created structural impediments to the adoption of high-speed rail in the latter half of the 20th century that were not present in Europe and Asia. Freight on American railroads had to travel vastly longer distances, so railroads developed longer cars that could be joined into longer trains. In contrast to Europe, these freights traveled past very few older buildings that were at risk of structural damage from vibrations created by heavy passing trains. Even today, American freight cars and their contents may be as heavy as , while their European counterparts are limited to .
With such long and heavy freights often sharing the same tracks as passenger trains, it was necessary to require that passenger cars be able to withstand the higher impact forces of a collision. Axial strength standards, first required for the mail cars where clerks worked sorting mail en route and later applied to passenger cars, require that an American passenger car be able to withstand applied to either end, as opposed to the European regulations mandate. This results in American passenger cars being heavier.
Faster inter-city trains: 1920–1941