History: Rail Transportation In The United States

Starting in the 1950s, the passenger travel market declined in North America, though there was growth in commuter rail. The higher clearances in North America enabled bi-level commuter coaches that could hold more passengers. These cars started to become common in the United States in the 1960s.
While intercity passenger rail travel declined in the United States during 1950s, ridership continued to increase in Europe during that time. With the increase came newer technology on existing and new equipment. The Spanish company Talgo began experimenting in the 1940s with technology that would enable the axles to steer into a curve, allowing the train to move around the curve at a higher speed. The steering axles evolved into mechanisms that would also tilt the passenger car as it entered a curve to counter the centrifugal force experienced by the train, further increasing speeds on existing track. Today, tilting passenger trains are commonplace. Talgo's trains are used on some short and medium distance routes such as Amtrak Cascades from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia.
• U.S. high-speed rail
High-speed rail in the United States currently consists of one high-speed rail service. Amtrak's Acela Express runs on the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. Unlike Asian or European systems, the Acela shares its tracks with conventional rail, and thus is limited to an average speed of 84 mph (135 km/h) for the entire distance with brief segments up to 150 mph (240 km/h). In comparison, high-speed trains between Tokyo and Kyoto run an average speed of 137 mph (220 km/h). In 2012, Amtrak outlined plans to increase top speeds to 220 mph (354 km/h) by reducing train congestion in the Northeast Corridor in coming decades, cutting trips between New York City and Washington, D.C. to 94 minutes.