Amtrak: long-term plan for high-speed rail
Amtrak is unveiling a $117 billion plan it hopes will bring high-speed rail to the East Coast by 2040, drastically reducing travel times along the congested corridor.
Amtrak President Joseph Boardman says the Next-Gen High Speed Rail line would reduce the travel time between Washington, D.C., and New York City from 162 minutes to 96 minutes. The travel time between New York and Boston would go from 215 minutes to 84 minutes. At a news conference at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station on Tuesday, Boardman said the plan is in the visionary stage, and there's no funding plan in place.
About 12 million riders a year use Amtrak along the northeast corridor. Amtrak expects the high-speed trains could accommodate about 33.7 million passengers by 2040.
