High Speed Rail – Express:

• Frequent, express service between major population centers 200–600 miles apart, with few intermediate stops.
• Top speeds of at least 150 mph on completely grade-separated, dedicated rights-of-way (with the possible exception of some shared track in terminal areas).
• Intended to relieve air and highway capacity constraints.

High Speed Rail – Regional:

• Relatively frequent service between major and moderate population centers 100–500 miles apart, with some intermediate stops.
• Top speeds of 110–150 mph, grade-separated, with some dedicated and some shared track (using positive train control technology).
• Intended to relieve highway and, to some extent, air capacity constraints.

Emerging High Speed Rail:

• Developing corridors of 100–500 miles, with strong potential for future HSR Regional and/or Express service.
• Top speeds of up to 90–110 mph on primarily shared track (eventually using positive train control technology), with advanced grade crossing protection or separation.
• Intended to develop the passenger rail market, and provide some relief to other modes.

For initial planning purposes, an intercity passenger rail system can be considered as meeting the high speed rail standard if:

• It provides service that is time-competitive with air and/or auto on a door-to-door basis for trips in the approximate range of 100 to 500 miles; and
• Its component subsystems (track, equipment, communications, control, and all others) are capable of sustained top speeds of 110 mph or more where the alignment and environmental considerations permit; and
• The system meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards.

Interstate Highway System

After World War II, many countries focused on building modern rail networks after their existing lines were destroyed. In the sprawling U.S., on the other hand, with many cities hundreds or thousands of miles apart, resources flowed toward improving air links and roads. President Eisenhower championed the formation of the U.S. Interstate highway system, making it the largest in the world.

Obama’s Vision

In April 2009, President Obama declared his intention to build a nationwide system of high speed rail lines. Obama characterized his plan as a down payment on a rail system that will take decades and hundreds of billions of dollars to build. His vision for high speed rail mirrors that of President Eisenhower’s highway system, which revolutionized the way Americans traveled.

ISTEA

The origin of high speed rail plans can be traced to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The bill was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 1991 and signed into law by Republican President George H.W. Bush.

The ISTEA aimed to better integrate how we travel – planes, trains and automobiles – as well as the players involved: local, state and federal officials. It also pushed to ensure greater compliance with the Clean Air Act and other environmental standards.

High Speed Rail Corridors

The bi-partisan ISTEA also set in motion plans for high speed rail in the United States. For the first time, the bill authorized the creation of official high speed "corridors": big-traffic routes where states could receive federal funding to upgrade existing rail lines, e.g. to improve tracks and remove risky crossings, for faster trains.

Since December 1991, eleven high speed rail corridors have been authorized. Five corridors were authorized under the ISTEA and six were authorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).

To date the Department of Transportation has designated ten of these corridors and numerous corridor extensions. Of the designated corridors, three were specifically named by Congress in law. The other seven were selected by the Secretary of Transportation in a competitive process, which in current law involves an evaluation of such factors as projected ridership, public benefits, and anticipated partnership participation of states, localities, and the freight railroads.

The ten designated corridors are: