amtrak, The urban interstate rail network in the US announced a US $ 151 billion improvement plan that includes 37 minutes of travel from New York to Philadelphia at speeds close to 220 miles per hour.
Travel times from New York to Washington or Boston - both about 200 miles apart - will also be shortened, to 94 minutes, according to the report.
Current travel times from New York to Philadelphia on the elegant Amtrak Acela trains are 1 hour and 15 minutes. The trip between New York and Washington is currently 2 hours, 45 minutes and New York to Boston takes 3 hours, 41 minutes.
The traditionally underfunded railroad is funded by Congress, where Republicans have been reluctant to fund previous plans to develop high-speed rail in the United States.
Company spokesman Steve Kulm acknowledged the lack of federal support, but said there were other financing options. "You have to have a plan and if you have a plan, the money will follow."
Beginning sometime in the 2020s, hyperfast "NextGen" trains are expected to replace the current Acela model trains, which were first introduced in 2000 at Amtrak.