Hotfoot for the Iron Horse

Attempts are under way to bring US rail service into the 21st century. A range of initiatives that may spark further advances in the US rail system are under way in the United States and abroad. Amtrak’s new Acela Express is scheduled to go into service this summer in the Northeast Corridor. It is expected to achieve a speed of 150 mph. Freshly arrived at Philadelphia’s Penn Coach Yards, the Acela Express power car is unwrapped and inspected. The covering of the nose has been pushed up, revealing the engine underneath. Amtrak, which hopes its new high-speed service will finally nudge it into the black, has ambitious plans to start high-speed services in other areas of the country. The US Department of Transportation has designated several corridors where economic factors and local political support seem to indicate a chance of success.