Key takeaways from the US High Speed Rail Association’s 2025 annual meeting

Last week, the Alliance took part in the US High Speed Rail Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Attendance at the event has grown steadily in recent years, and the momentum continued this year. There were about two dozen sponsors, 50 speakers, 18 panel discussions, and hundreds of attendees. Topics ranged from “the business case for high-speed rail” to “building Brightline West” to “turbocharging American job growth.” In a session about building local support for high-speed rail, the Alliance’s executive director, Rick Harnish, talked about the successes of a grassroots base of train advocates in our home state, Illinois.

In early April, the New York Times published a roundup of high-speed rail projects across the US. It noted that “high-speed rail has not yet made it to the U.S., but that will change soon.” We all want progress to happen faster and on a much bigger scale, of course. But the Times is right that high-speed rail is on the cusp of big breakthroughs. There was a buzz of excitement at the meeting about HSR projects already underway—and the many opportunities that lay ahead of us.

Here are five quick takeaways from the meeting:

1. Several speakers underscored that we need to be savvy about moving the ball forward. Advocates have had success in getting more funding for trains and transit over the past few years, as Congress passed big infrastructure and climate-change bills. The new political environment creates new realities and possibilities. For example, there is a lot of discussion right now (on both sides of the political spectrum) about the cutting through red tape to get things done. The status quo is breaking down, and the future is wide open. We need to identify the best ways to shape what comes next—and be strategic, aggressive, and organized in taking advantage of the opportunities.
2. The new CEO of the California High Speed Rail Authority, Ian Choudri, laid out a path for moving the project forward based on three top priorities. First, get a segment of the line operating as soon as possible. Second, establish a steady source of funding from the state so that the Authority can secure private funding. Third, use that private investment to extend the line from the Central Valley to the Bay Area and LA regions, via tunnels. Choudri said design work on the tunnels can begin in about two years, with construction beginning about two years after that. He believes the project can attract private investment—but first it must show a strong commitment to serving the Bay Area and LA and have a realistic plan for doing so.
3. In the same vein: One of the most effective and outspoken advocates for trains and transit in Congress—Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)—argued that passenger rail is such an efficient, effective use of resources that the private sector will readily get behind it as high-speed trains show their power to build strong communities and vibrant economies. As Rep. Moulton explained in the Times piece noted above, “If you build high-speed rail between Chicago and Boston, it would not only be great for Chicago and Boston; it would be absolutely transformative for Cleveland, for Buffalo, for Syracuse, for South Bend, for Albany. All of a sudden, they’re accessible to these great economies.”
4. Also in that vein: Brightline West is showing what the future of high-speed rail might look like in the US context. The meeting featured an excellent presentation about Brightline’s high-speed line from Las Vegas to the outskirts of LA, which is expected to launch in the late 2020s. The all-electric trains will make the run in about 130 minutes, or roughly half the current drive time. Although Brightline is a private company, the project has received substantial public support—most notably a $3 billion federal grant. The Brightline presentation focused on nuts-and-bolts details about its innovative construction methods and some of the challenges it faces, especially since much of the line will run through the middle of Interstate 15.
5. We can add two exciting projects to the list of high-speed lines that are in the serious planning stages. Jim Derwinski—CEO of Metra (Illinois’ passenger railroad) and chairman of the Illinois High Speed Railway Commission—gave a presentation about the initial feasibility work now underway for a Chicago-St. Louis high-speed line. This marks the first time a Midwestern state has invested in a meaningful study of a high-speed line. Additionally, in Canada, the planned high-speed rail network Alto has partnered with a firm to complete development and design work. This work will prepare for construction on the Toronto to Quebec City high-speed line. Alto will consist of about 600 miles of new train service. Its electrified trains will run at top speeds of 186 mph.