this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 63 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Plus commuter trains get delayed frequently to make way for cargo trains.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Actually the law states that passenger rail has priority.

It’s just unenforced so freight ignores it

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Which is illegal, but unenforced

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks 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

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Absolutely agree. It's so much less frustrating too

[–] bdonvr 7 points 3 weeks ago

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

It's also super expensive so....

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks 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.