The National Railroad Passenger Corporation,doing business as Amtrak,is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and trak,the latter itself a sensational spelling of track.
The Southeast Corridor (SEC) is a proposed passenger rail transportation project in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States to extend high-speed passenger rail services from the current southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor in Washington,D.C.. Routes would extend south via Richmond and Petersburg,Virginia,with a spur to Norfolk in Virginia's Hampton Roads region;the mainline would continue south to Raleigh,Durham,Greensboro,and Charlotte,North Carolina. Since the corridor was first established in 1992,the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has extended it further to Atlanta,Georgia and Macon,Georgia;Greenville,South Carolina;Columbia,South Carolina;Jacksonville,Florida;and Birmingham,Alabama.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations,administer railroad assistance programs,conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy,provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service,and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT. Headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President of the United States,the FTA functions through Washington,D.C headquarters office and ten regional offices which assist transit agencies in all states,the District of Columbia,and the territories. Until 1991,it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA).
Schuylkill River Passenger Rail is a proposed passenger train service along the Schuylkill River between Philadelphia and Reading,Pennsylvania,with intermediate stops in Norristown,King of Prussia,Phoenixville,and Pottstown.
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,it failed to spread. Definitions of what constitutes high-speed rail vary,including a range of speeds over 110 mph (180 km/h) and dedicated rail lines. Inter-city rail with top speeds between 90 and 125 mph is sometimes referred to in the United States as higher-speed rail.
Front Range Passenger Rail is a proposed inter-city passenger train service along the Front Range and broader I-25 corridors in Colorado and Wyoming. Most proposals envision a route from Pueblo north to Colorado Springs,Denver,Boulder,and Fort Collins. Extensions north to Cheyenne and south to Trinidad,Albuquerque,and even El Paso have been discussed.
The Baltimore–Washington Superconducting Maglev Project (SCMAGLEV) is a proposed project connecting the United States cities of Baltimore,Maryland,and Washington,D.C.,with a 40 miles (64 km) maglev train system between their respective central business districts. It is the first segment of the planned Washington-New York Northeast Maglev project. The maglev proposal is not related to the Baltimore–Washington hyperloop proposed by the Boring Company.
The Hartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven,Connecticut,and Springfield,Massachusetts,using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. The project is a joint venture between the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts,with support from the federal government as well. CT Rail-branded trains provide service along the corridor,and riders can use Hartford Line tickets to travel on board most Amtrak trains along the corridor at the same prices. The service launched on June 16,2018.
Joseph Houston Boardman was an American transportation executive.
Rail speed limits in the United States are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroads also implement their own limits and enforce speed limits. Speed restrictions are based on a number of factors including curvature,signaling,track condition,and the presence of grade crossings. Like road speed limits in the United States,speed limits for tracks and trains are measured in miles per hour (mph).
The Hilltopper was a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It ran daily from South Station in Boston,Massachusetts to Catlettsburg station in Catlettsburg,Kentucky. The 1,674 mi (2,694 km) run made 34 stops in 11 states and the District of Columbia.
MxV Rail is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) which conducts railroad equipment testing and training for member railroads.
The Office of High-Speed Ground Transportation was established in the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) to administer the requirements of the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 to "undertake research and development in high-speed ground transportation,including,but not limited to,components such as materials,aerodynamics,vehicle propulsion,vehicle control,communications,and guideways."
Polly Ellen Trottenberg is an American government official who is serving as Deputy Secretary of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg since April 14,2021. She served as the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from June 2023 to October 2023. She previously served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2014 to 2020.
Ronald L. Batory is an American railroad industry executive who served as the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration from 2018 to 2021. Batory has over 45 years of leadership experience in the railroad industry,including serving as president and chief operating officer of Consolidated Rail Corporation and as president of the Belt Railway of Chicago. According to a 2012 Fred Frailey article,"all Ronald Batory has ever wanted to do is work for a railroad."
Karen Jean Hedlund is an American attorney and governmental advisor who has served as a member of the Surface Transportation Board since January 2022.
East-West Rail is a proposed intercity passenger rail project that would provide new service between Boston and western Massachusetts,with stops including Worcester,Palmer,Springfield,Pittsfield,and Amtrak's Albany–Rensselaer station in New York. The 171-mile (275 km) route between Boston and Albany would use the former mainline of the Boston and Albany Railroad,which is now owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and CSX Transportation.
The Corridor Identification and Development Program,abbreviated as the Corridor ID Program,is a comprehensive planning program for inter-city passenger rail projects in the United States administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Each route accepted into the program is granted $500,000 toward planning activities and is prioritized for future federal funding.
