Congress would take away Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor train service and invite investors to bid for the right to develop high-speed rail under a plan outlined yesterday by a House Republican. Tweet Be the first to Tweet this!.ShareThis . The Boston-Washington corridor is the most viable region for true high-speed trains averaging 110 miles or more per hour, said House Transportation and Infrastructure chairman John Mica. But Amtrak has failed to provide fast service, despite tens of billions of dollars in federal aid, he said. Amtrak’s Acela trains reach 150 miles per hour in places, but trip times average only 83 miles per hour between Washington and New York and 72 miles per hour between New York and Boston, Mica said.
Amtrak has proposed upgrades so trains could go up to 220 miles per hour, phased in over 30 years. That’s not good enough, Mica said. He wants to put Amtrak’s Northeast infrastructure under the Department of Transportation or a new government corporation and solicit bids from private investors to develop and run fast service.
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