Why Is There No Bullet Train in the US?

People ask me why is there no bullet train in the US. Well, there are 3 very strong reasons that we don’t have a bullet train here.

Firstly bullet trains are too expensive to build, secondly the tracks are too expensive to build & thirdly the time to build is greater than 25 year, it takes too long. Yes, we are impatient!

What Is a Bullet Train?

A bullet train is the nickname of a Japanese train known as the Shinkansen. The Japanese originally built bullet trains to connect the outside cities of Japan with the capital, Tokyo.

The bullet train gets its’ nickname because, you guessed it. It is fast, very fast! In fact the fastest train in the world!

How Fast Is a Bullet Train? Why Is There No Bullet Train In The US?

A bullet train train can reach speeds of up to 375 mph or 603 km/h! So how does that compare to the fastest train in the US?

Well, our fastest trains are a little slower, in fact a lot slower. The fastest train in the US is the AmTrak Acela Express that can hit 150 mph! It’s not slow, but it is compared to a bullet train.

Back in 2012 the Amtrak president, Joseph Boardman proposed to build a bullet train like high speed network that would get up to 220mph (only). Proposed costs were $151 billion, proposed design & build time was a total of 25 years & this is why it never happened! It is a huge commitment and takes a long time.

why is there no bullet train in the us

High Speed Rail For & Against

There has been an ongoing argument about why there is no bullet train in the US and will we get one. Firstly you have people saying air & car are quicker and already a part of our modern life, so why spend the money.


Then you have the other camp of people that look at the long term picture. Firstly of population growth and secondly of environmental impact. There are constant proposals to build a high speed rail networks, but the cost is exponential.

Why Is There No Bullet Train In The U.S Conclusion

The US does not have a bullet train or a high speed rail network greater than the AmTrak Acela. Costs are way too high to justify building the trains and the extensive railroad network to support them.

To be honest I don’t see one happening in the near future either, although I would absolutely love one!

Are trains safe? Find out HERE.