DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 16: An aerial view of an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train passing along eroding cliffs at the Pacific Ocean coastline on August 16, 2024 in Del Mar, California. Rising sea levels and stronger storms have contributed to increased erosion and landslides along the vital Amtrak Pacific Surfliner coastal rail corridor which runs over 350 miles through Southern California to California’s Central Coast. Erosion and landslides on coastal bluffs led to three extended closures along the route in 2023 and 2024 and twelve shutdowns in the past six years. With climate change expected to bring more intense storms and higher seas, most officials believe vulnerable sections of the corridor will need to be moved inland. The scenic route is the second-most popular Amtrak corridor in the country and also serves commuter and freight trains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Washington D.C. – As America approaches its 250th birthday, a private rail startup based in Delaware has proposed an ambitious plan to link the country’s coasts by high-speed rail. Dubbed the “Transcontinental Chief,” the new route would run from Los Angeles to New York in under 72 hours, combining passenger rail and vehicle transport in a model inspired by Europe’s intermodal systems.
AmeriStarRail, the company behind the pitch, is seeking a public-private partnership with Amtrak to launch the project in time for the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration in May 2026—coinciding with the FIFA World Cup. The firm, which previously lobbied for private investment in Amtrak’s aging Northeast Corridor, says its plan requires no new federal legislation or taxpayer funding. Instead, it claims the service could be launched with private capital, provided that operating agreements are reached with major host railroads including BNSF, Norfolk Southern, and New Jersey Transit.
In a letter addressed to Amtrak President Roger Harris, AmeriStarRail COO Scott Spencer described the plan as a path toward profitability for the national rail carrier, which has long struggled to maintain its long-distance services. The proposal promises a blend of modernized Amtrak-style amenities and European-style auto transport, with designated spaces for travelers and truckers to board with their vehicles.
The line would traverse some of the most iconic landscapes in the country, making stops in Harrisburg, Chicago, and near the Grand Canyon before reaching its western terminus in Los Angeles. In the process, it would replace two of Amtrak’s existing but financially struggling routes—the Southwest Chief and the Pennsylvanian.
But the announcement comes amid persistent stagnation in U.S. high-speed rail development. While nations across Asia and Europe have made high-speed intercity rail a backbone of their domestic infrastructure, the United States remains far behind. The most advanced project currently underway is California’s 500-mile high-speed rail system connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles, which continues to face cost overruns, delays, and political resistance.
AmeriStarRail hopes to circumvent those pitfalls by relying on existing rail lines, private investment, and the branding appeal of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The firm says it has already presented its proposal to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and the Federal Railroad Administration, though Amtrak itself has yet to issue a response.
Whether the Transcontinental Chief becomes reality will likely depend less on its marketing appeal and more on the difficult logistics of operating long-distance, high-speed service over infrastructure not originally designed for it. Still, in a moment when federal rail policy is often reactive rather than visionary, AmeriStarRail’s proposal arrives as a rare expression of boldness—one that tests whether the country still has the appetite, and coordination, for grand projects.
