Train travel is having a renaissance of sorts, especially thanks to the proposed AmeriStarRail “Transcontinental Chief”.
The Delaware startup sent an open letter to Roger Harris, the president of Amtrak, to join forces for a coast-to-coast high-speed rail that will take travelers to the opposite end of the country in less than 72 hours, according to Railway Supply.
New Yorkers’ ears perked up when they learned that Amtrak is planning to connect Long Island to mainland US. They were also thrilled to learn that the Hudson Tunnel Project’s will new routes from NYC to New Jersey. This news, however, is on another level.
For more on what’s going on and what the future of national travel might look like, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
All about AmeriStarRail’s Transcontinental Chief
This proposal will carry passengers, cars, and tractor-trailers, Railway Supply further reports that AmeriStarRail is also keen on utilizing Amtrak’s coaches, sleepers, and dining cars for the project as well. The Transcontinental Chief plans to replace Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and Pennsylvanian lines and utilize existing infrastructure from host railroads such as BNSF, Norfolk Southern and New Jersey Transit.
The goal is to have the service up and running by 2026 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup and a huge milestone for our country — an ambitious undertaking, for certain.
According to Newsweek, Scott Spencer, AmeriStarRail’s chief operating officer, plans to “create opportunities to usher in a profitable Golden Age of rail travel for passengers and truckers, with the ingenuity of free enterprise, as we celebrate our great nation’s 250th birthday next year.”
The publication further reports that high-speed rail travel projects have been at a standstill due to state and federal financial concerns. However, AmeriStarRail claims it has private funds to execute the plans. The company has also approached the federal government regarding their ideas.
Now what’s left? Amtrak’s approval. Per Newsweek, Amtrak has yet to weigh in on the game-changing proposal — and has not responded to the startups other suggested projects.
Time will tell if the Transcontinental Chief will be full speed ahead or encounter pushback. We’ll keep you posted on the news as it develops.
