AmeriStarRail, a private startup based in Delaware, revealed its bold plan last July for the “Transcontinental Chief,” a new high-speed rail line connecting major U.S. cities New York and Los Angeles in partnership with Amtrak. Now, more details about the project have been released.
According to USA Today, the train is expected to be ready to serve millions of passengers by 2026, specifically May 10. The goal is to have it operational ahead of the United States’ 250th birthday and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the world’s biggest and most popular sporting event, for which L.A. will host several matches.
AmeriStarRail stated that the Transcontinental Chief train would take over the routes currently served by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and Pennsylvanian lines, which connect Southern California and New York through stops in Chicago or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
With the new train, New Yorkers will board the train at Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, accessible via a connecting PATH subway ride or ferry from Manhattan across the Hudson River, with the final destination at Union Station in L.A.
Along the route, there are 8 main stops at key stations, including the endpoints: New York, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City, and Albuquerque. Counting all the intermediate stops, the route extends across 54 cities throughout the country.
Besides carrying passengers, the Transcontinental Chief would also transport truck drivers along with their tractor trailers between the West and East coasts within three days, according to AmeriStarRail.