High-speed rail from Pittsburgh is possible, says Rep. Deluzio
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Trains out of Pittsburgh aren't particularly fast. Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Pittsburghers should set their sights on high-speed rail zooming out of the Steel City, said Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio.
Why it matters: The U.S. has long lagged behind other countries on high-speed rail, which gets people from point A to point B faster than driving and is considered relatively clean compared to flying.
Zoom in: Deluzio tells Axios that it can become a reality if the federal government invests.
- Along with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Deluzio recently introduced the All Aboard Act, which would invest $200 billion to build high-speed rail, expand existing passenger rail service and electrify railyards and train corridors across the country.
Context: Pittsburgh has attracted high-speed transit proposals in the past — Maglev in the early 2000s and Hyperloop in the late 2010s — but they never materialized after Hyperloop companies shut down and Maglev went bankrupt.
Reality check: A 2014 PennDOT study said upgrading the rail line between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg would cost billions and offer little benefit.
- Nearly $2 billion in upgrades would only shave off 10 minutes from the 5.5-hour journey, according to the study.
- $24 billion in upgrades would trim 35 minutes.
- The 2014 study is the most recent feasibility study in Pennsylvania, per PennDOT.
What they're saying: "Places like Pittsburgh, it is tough. You need tunnels or you need bridges that are very high in the air. That is capital intensive," Chris Sandvig, director of transportation advocacy group Mobilify, tells Axios.
🚄 Fun fact: Trains between Harrisburg and Philadelphia reach up to 110 mph thanks to flat topography and Amtrak owning the right-of-way in that stretch.
- The International Union of Railways defines high-speed rail as new construction that reaches up to 155 mph or 124 mph on upgraded existing rail.
Between the lines: Sandvig said Deluzio's proposal is not enough to build a nationwide high-speed rail network, but it could jump-start private investment for the cause.
- He said public-private partnerships have been most successful in expanding rapid passenger rail, citing Brightline's new routes in Florida and an under-construction route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
State of play: Deluzio said technology isn't as much of a hurdle as infrastructure improvements, including upgrading rail crossings to bypass street-level crossings and addressing conflicts with private freight lines.
- Deluzio took the train from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., which took eight hours rather than the four it takes to drive there.
- "It was faster to take that train in the 1960s," he said.
Friction point: President Trump and Republicans have little appetite for massive federal infrastructure spending, and the president paused IRA spending allocated under Biden.
Yes, but: Deluzio has also made rail safety a priority after the 2023 East Palestine train derailment and has received bipartisan backing for that effort, including from Vice President Vance.
- Deluzio, who won re-election in his suburban Pittsburgh district even though it was carried by Trump, believes he can garner similar support for the All Aboard Act.
What we're watching: The bill has not yet been assigned to any congressional committees.