A new proposal from AmeriStarRail hopes to connect Los Angeles, California, to New York City via a transcontinental high-speed train as soon as 2026.
Talk about a game-changer!
AmeriStarRail, a private Delaware startup company, has announced its ambitious proposal for the “Transcontinental Chief,” a new coast-to-coast high-speed rail line that would connect NYC to LA. The company hopes to complete the project so quickly by using some existing railways and train cars, specifically Amtrak’s, which has tracks in 46 states around the U.S. The proposed route would also stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, and the Grand Canyon before reaching Los Angeles.
The company announced the proposal in an open letter to Roger Harris, the president of Amtrak, and plans to carry passengers, cars, and tractor-trailers as well as make use of Amtrak’s coaches, sleepers, and dining cars.
While federal and financial constraints slow many Amtrak expansion ideas, AmeriStarRail claims it has private funds to execute the plans. They have also reportedly approached the federal government with the proposal, including President Trump and members of Congress.
AmeriStarRail hopes the plan will “create opportunities to usher in a profitable Golden Age of rail travel for passengers and truckers, with the ingenuity of free enterprise, as we celebrate our great nation’s 250th birthday next year,” according to Scott Spencer, the company’s chief operating officer, Newsweek reports.
According to Secret NYC, AmeriStarRail hopes to have the service up and running by May 2026 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup.
Newsweek notes that Amtrak has not yet responded to the proposal, and has previously ignored other pitches from AmeriStarRail.