The sections that allow 150 MPH are relatively short and the extra 10 MPH would make little real difference except for bragging rights.
the catenary between ny and new haven will shortly be constant tension catenary, with the last of the original catenrary replaced by the first of 2015. but clerances between tracks are narrower than standard for multi-track usa railroads, and superelevation on curves is less. metro north runs the show and amtrak is a tenant. i think speeds have been raised from 70 to 90mph in spots, but i don't expect any higher speeds than 90mph on the existing alignment west of new haven except possibly on amtrak's own line between new rochelle and hell gate bridge. even with the replacemen catenary and raising speeds to 90mph, there remain many slow spots on bridges and cuves.
i believe there is one stretch west of ny that is or will shortly be 150mph terrirotry, and more will be added with catenary replacedment. but much depends on funding. and again slow areas will remain.
It's a case of unrealistic expectations created by politicians running up against economic and technical realities. The Acelas can attain a 150-mph top speed, but any number of obstacles, from the drawbridges along the Connecticut coast to the age of the electrical catenary inherited from the former New Haven, limit that potential top speed to only a few locations; ironically, most of them are in little Rhode Island.
I expect that oppoutunities for improvement in speeds wll arise from time to time, but they will be marginal, and very costly.
No.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
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