High-speed rail in the United States

Plans for high-speed rail in the United States date 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), it failed to spread. Definitions of what constitutes high-speed rail vary, including a range of speeds over 110 miles per hour and dedicated rail lines. Inter-city rail in the United States with top speeds of 90 mph (145 km/h) or more but below 125 mph (201 km/h) is sometimes referred to as higher-speed rail. The Acela Express (reaching 150 mph) and the Northeast Regional (reaching 125 mph) are currently the only services in the country (the Metroliner was discontinued in 2006).

There are plans for higher-speed rail and high-speed rail in California, the Midwest, New England, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, the Pacific Northwest, Colorado/ New Mexico, and the Southwestern United States. As of 2016, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is working on the California High Speed Rail project, which is planned to link Anaheim, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and other major cities in the state with speeds up to 220 mph (354 km/h). Construction is under way on sections traversing the Central Valley. Phase I will be completed in 2029, and phase II will likely be completed before 2040. The Texas Central Railway is a line being built from Houston to Dallas with speeds up to 205 mph (330 km/h), that should be completed in 2021. There are also higher-speed rail projects in various parts of the country.

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