Can new federal plan really bring high-speed rail to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor?

Taking them might beat driving, but trains on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) are not very fast. It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to get to New York from Philadelphia on the Acela Express, Amtrak’s so-called high speed option. That speed is closer to those of the legacy trains of yore than the modern, high-speed rail prevalent across Europe and East Asia. Real high-speed rail along the NEC would link Philadelphia to New York in less than 40 minutes and to Washington, D.C., in less…