DC to NYC in 96 Minutes

• September 29, 2010
• 16 Comments

by Mark Wellborn

At a recent news conference in Philadelphia, Amtrak announced a 30-year vision for high-speed train travel on the east coast.

Even though the proposal is just at the “visionary” stage, according to the Associated Press, and no funding is in place, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman said that he is hopeful a high-speed rail could be in place by 2040.

Boardman continued by saying that the travel time on the perpetually congested route between DC and New York City could b reduced from 162 minutes to 96 minutes on the high-speed rail. The decrease in travel time between New York and Boston would be even more significant: from 215 minutes to 84 minutes.

We will dream about this possibility next time we are stuck in traffic on the BoltBus.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_to_nyc_in_96_minutes/2522

16 Comments

1. Joe said at 1:47 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   Omg 30 years! I will be dead in 30 years. Can the USA please do high speed rail on the east coast now! This country is so inept.

1. Ben said at 1:50 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   At least my kids will be able to benefit...I'll have to tell them how it was in the old days.

1. dzad said at 2:17 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   in 30 years we'll be using teleporters. this will be completely useless and time consuming

1. jason said at 3:20 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   Is this a joke?

1. whoa_now said at 3:48 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   Ha...China can do it in two yrs. This is laughable. I bet North Korea could do it five...ha, we are so far behind. BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!

1. Concentrist said at 4:43 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   So sad it makes me want to cry... Check Out What China's Doing With Its Taxpayers' Money Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-high-speed-trains#ixzz10vwQ4U3o China Launches World's Fastest Train That Blows Away Anything We'll Ever See Here Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-newest-high-speed-railway-2009-12#ixzz10vwdVKDa

1. jag said at 5:34 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   I know, right. If only half of Americans could die from air pollution like they do in Chinese cities. Then we wouldn't have to use all our money on this damn social security and medicare crap! China is so much better!

1. KStreetQB said at 6:19 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   Amtrak can't get funding to maintain its current capital, let alone an extra $150 billion to lay new high speed rail line in the NEC.

1. Concentrist said at 6:48 pm on Wednesday September 29, 2010:
   Proof That The American Train System Is A Total Joke Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-us-trains-suck-2009-11#train--grande-vitesse-vs-city-of-new-orleans-1#ixzz10wSBJgk4

1. whoa_now said at 2:33 am on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   Jag, I'm not sure I get your point. Is it A) That high speed rail and peeps dying from pollution go together? or that B) China isn't so great peeps are dying from pollution..therefore high speed rail isn't that great..ergo ..wtf?

1. swester said at 5:21 am on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   This, of course, provided that DC and/or NYC will still exist in a post-apocalyptic world.

1. pru said at 3:49 pm on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   2040 for a high speed rail connection between the economic capital and the political capital? That's so pathetic, it could be a headline on The Onion.

1. PleasantPlainer said at 4:02 pm on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   Being from Mass, I always understood the reason the current "high speed" trains (Acela) can't go at full speed is because of all the twists and turns the old rail right of ways take meandering along the S. New England coast to reach port cities. The tilting Acela trains help, but still keep speeds way down. As for DC to NYC Acela, I have no idea the reason that train is only slightly better time wise than bus or car. The real problem with Amtrak is the cost - for an individual you can justify it, but for a couple - and definitely families - Amtrak $uck$. Solution: bonds to improve rail paid for by gas tax. Once we stop supporting highways with our tax dollars, and shift it to improving other means, those will take hold. Having just got back from Europe, there is no reason we cannot do better in this arena - especially here on the E. Coast!

1. traveller said at 4:05 pm on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   Thirty years truly is a joke, and the fact that the proponent of the idea doe snot seem to have any conept of this, makes me wonder... Reading the other comments makes me feel less like a snob.

1. Geori said at 4:19 pm on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   The execs running Amtrak should go back to their basements and play with model trains rather than running a quasi-governmental entity into the ground. Rail needs to actually pay attention to customer demand. We need to fall in line with the rest of the world and invest in a true express line from here to Boston. Eminent domain needs to be used and tunnels should be built. We should have 200 mph trains within 10 years. There's no excuse for our highest speed train, the Acela, barely beating the bolt bus from Union Station to Penn station. It is 226 miles from here to NY and that should be done in an hour and a half. That service would put the airplane shuttles out of business.

1. whoa_now said at 8:16 pm on Thursday September 30, 2010:
   We're shouldn't be looking to put the aiplane shuttles out of business. There is room for both...But this is just absurd. What is technology going to be in 40 years. Why even save money for 40 years if you're unsure of what the technology is going to be. It would be like me saving money for 40 years to buy a 1970 Dodge Dart. A) technology is way past 1970s, B) everything cost more. This is an Onion headline. Truly absurd. we can't be a first world country without firstworld infrastructure. The entire stimulus should of gone to infrastructure projects.