Amtrak Sprints Toward a Higher Speed Future

Except for about 20 miles in Rhode Island, Amtrak’s 24-mile four-track main stretching from New Brunswick to Hamilton, N.J., is the fastest railroad line in North America. Originally constructed in the 1930s, the line, known as the New Jersey Raceway, or Speedway, is in the midst of an ambitious multi-year program that will enable train speeds of 160 mph, which will improve reliability and capacity for Amtrak and NJ Transit. The scope of work will focus on Amtrak High-speed Rail (HSR), Amtrak long-distance service, NJ Transit outer zone express service, NJ Transit middle and inner zone service, freight, signalization and train movement patterns. Constant-tension catenary, higher-speed interlockings, track additions and realignment, and resignaling are among the improvements to be made, along with a system-wide safety analysis to identify and address issues associated with high-speed operations, such as the aerodynamic effects of the high speed trains, and their impact to existing operating rules and practices. Although Amtrak’s electric locomotives have served the railroad well for the past 40 years, taking full advantage of the track, catenary, and signaling improvements will require new locomotives, 70 of which are being built and will be field tested this summer for entry into revenue service this fall.