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July 11, 2007

Amtrak exec: Only so much speed for the bucks

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak's president says a $7 billion track upgrade would only reduce travel time between Washington and New York by 25 minutes.

The comments by Alex Kummant came during a presentation on the federally funded railroad's capital needs.

During the hearing, members of the House transportation committee expressed frustration about the lack of truly high-speed rail service in the U-S.

The closest thing Amtrak has to high-speed service is the Acela Express, the railroad's premier Boston-to-Washington train, which includes a stop in Providence.

The line travels at an average speed of 82 miles per hour and reaches 150 miles per hour in parts of Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The current run from New York to Washington takes just under three hours.

Kummant says building a dedicated line for high-speed service like France's TGV would cost $10 billion -- not including land acquisition costs.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 6:17 PM | Permalink

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