Not really for Acela. The NE Corridor is fully grade separated for most parts and four cities chosen are far enough apart to make use of the train’s top speed.
It makes use of the trains top speed for less than 50 miles of the route. It’s basically only infrastructure: tight curves, ancient bridges and tunnels, too many choke points. It may be grade separated but you still can’t blast through towns at full speed. It’s limited by freight trains. It’s even limited by shipping, because of drawbridges.
Edit - Here’s a partial map illustrating speed increases for some planned infrastructure projects
The express service is still considerably limited in the DC to Boston because it’s like 40% metro and still has to slow down. You have DC, Philly, NY, and Boston all with substantial suburban infrastructure and it adds up.
In the best of situations on express it’s hard to justify express acella unless you are really cash strapped.
I’d think, in order to hit full speed even with a limited stop or express train, you’d still have speed issues coming up on a metro area. You can’t just blow through Philly at 160 even if you hadn’t planned on stopping there.
You can but the track has to be built for it. Japan has stations that are passed at 320km/h (200mph). You need minimum four tracks (two platforms, two passing) and curves/gradients suitable for the speed, along with noise mitigations as necessary.
If you’re trying to re-use tracks and stations built in the 1800s that’s possibly less feasible.
The tracks and I’m sure the distances between stops. Hard to hit full speed when you already have to plan to slow down for the next stop.
Not really for Acela. The NE Corridor is fully grade separated for most parts and four cities chosen are far enough apart to make use of the train’s top speed.
It makes use of the trains top speed for less than 50 miles of the route. It’s basically only infrastructure: tight curves, ancient bridges and tunnels, too many choke points. It may be grade separated but you still can’t blast through towns at full speed. It’s limited by freight trains. It’s even limited by shipping, because of drawbridges.
Edit - Here’s a partial map illustrating speed increases for some planned infrastructure projects
Part of handling that is having both local and limited-stop services (which they likely already do) and a good local/commuter train network.
The express service is still considerably limited in the DC to Boston because it’s like 40% metro and still has to slow down. You have DC, Philly, NY, and Boston all with substantial suburban infrastructure and it adds up.
In the best of situations on express it’s hard to justify express acella unless you are really cash strapped.
I’d think, in order to hit full speed even with a limited stop or express train, you’d still have speed issues coming up on a metro area. You can’t just blow through Philly at 160 even if you hadn’t planned on stopping there.
You can but the track has to be built for it. Japan has stations that are passed at 320km/h (200mph). You need minimum four tracks (two platforms, two passing) and curves/gradients suitable for the speed, along with noise mitigations as necessary.
If you’re trying to re-use tracks and stations built in the 1800s that’s possibly less feasible.