Why America's First High-Speed Railway will Transform Nation

Early last week, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Siemens Mobility and Brightline West announced that Horseheads, New York, will be home to North America’s first high-speed rail production facility. 

The nearly 300,000sq ft facility will produce America’s first high-speed train, the American Pioneer 220, which will operate on Brightline West’s Las Vegas to Southern California line.

It’s set to create nearly 300 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, quality control and test management.

The site represents a US$60m investment, with Horseheads chosen due to its industrial history, skilled workforce and ideal location in the southern tier of New York state.

The high-speed rail project aims to connect Las Vegas and Southern California in under two hours.

Production of the facility is expected to begin in 2026.

This facility could spark a wave of high-speed rail manufacturing across the US- something which would fundamentally change the nation.

“Upstate New York is unmatched in rail car manufacturing capabilities, with a deep proud history pioneering the rail industry and a community that is excited to get to work building America’s future,” says US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“Siemens Mobility is an excellent addition to the outstanding manufacturers already in this region, and I am thrilled they heeded my call to come to New York and will join the rail car manufacturing ecosystem right here in the Southern Tier. 

"It’s full steam ahead for America’s high-speed rail future, with every stop powered by union workers here in Upstate NY.”

Siemens & The American Pioneer 220 

Brightline selected Siemens Mobility to help build the train sets for the project.

Siemens has a nearly 150-year history in New York State, which goes back to the first transatlantic telegraph cable between Europe and the US in 1875. 

Siemens has invested US$3bn in the country over the past four years, with 45,000 employees and 25 manufacturing sites located there. 

Siemens has built the sets for the railway’s American Pioneer 220 train within the US.

“This is an exciting time not only for us at Siemens Mobility but for the rail industry as a whole,” said Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility.

“This new facility in Horseheads, New York, marks the beginning of a brand-new industry in the USA – bringing both high-speed rail production and some of the world’s most modern trains to the continent for the first time.

"Designed with the latest digital twin technology and leveraging world-class digital rail solutions, the New York-built American Pioneer 220s feature cutting-edge advancements, including a revolutionary gearless propulsion system that reduces energy consumption by 30% and allows it to climb effortlessly at steep grades.”

This train is an ultrawide body train that prioritises accessibility and sustainability, enabling wheelchairs to seamlessly move from car to car throughout the entire train set.

With high-speed internet connectivity and large, comfortable trains, commuters and leisure passengers alike will travel in comfort and style.

The first-of-its-kind lounge, ‘party car’ will allow passengers to relax, enjoying a beverage and views of the desert in a true passenger experience. 

Why US high-speed rail matters 

This investment in high-speed rail is a huge deal, marking the turning point in a conversation that has been prominent in the US culture discourse since the 2010s: Is high-speed rail possible here? 

The answer to this is a resounding yes. For too long the car has dominated the American transportation landscape, heralded as the sole option to counteract the country’s vastness.

After all, how can rail be a reality when the state of Texas alone is bigger than most European countries? 

Tell that to China. A country which is approximately 2% larger than the U.S. in fact in terms of land area, with 4.17 times the US population.

In 2024 China is home to about 1.43 billion people, while the United States is only home to 342 million. 

And yet despite this greater size, China has since the early 2000s rolled out a comprehensive high-speed rail network (HSR) extending across the country.

By the end of 2023, this network will have a total length of 45,000 kilometres.

The HSR extends to all of China’s rural and provincial-level administrative divisions and is the world’s longest and most extensively used rail network ever. 

The network has had a myriad of well-documented benefits, including improved safety, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced highway congestion, shortened travel times and enhanced urban accessibility for tourists, workers and the disabled.

High-speed rail will have similar benefits in the US and will be a valuable tool to tackle the serious challenges surrounding isolation and connectivity in rural America.

The population density in many rural areas of the US is extremely small and public infrastructure is in some places lacking, contributing to problems like food deserts and inaccessibility of 5G and Wi-Fi.  

High-speed rail will in time link all fifty states together, enhancing people’s capacity to travel and connect and bringing new opportunities and work into economically stagnant areas.

Many studies have highlighted that public transport- including rail- contributes to an increase in walkable cities and pedestrian focused urban design. 

A recent study by Boston University highlighted the link between neighbourhood walkability, physical activity and average citizen BMI Levels.

Less walkable cities were correlated with lesser physical activity and higher BMI levels, as people were likelier to opt to drive to locations rather than brave walking along roads not designed with pedestrian safety in mind. 

When people drive more, businesses take notice. They prioritise car accessibility, building more features like drive thrus, which due to their convenience further incentivise people to drive.

Car dependency is therefore a significant factor in the US obesity epidemic.

Over 70 million adults in the US suffer from obesity and according to the World Obesity Foundation, 91% of Americans by 2060 will be overweight.

Car dependency is not only linked to the obesity epidemic, but also the loneliness epidemic in the country.

According to HHS Gov, one-in-two adults in America reports experiencing loneliness- a number that has risen post COVID-19.

When cities aren't walkable, where can communities go and socialise? People who can't afford to drive, or buy a coffee are shut out from spaces like restaurants, cafes and malls.

Additionally as more people drive, car parks are built which take up further space that could be dedicated to walkable third-spaces for local communities. 

On top of helping to address these social and health issues, the advent of high-speed rail in the US is also set to benefit the nation’s manufacturing as a whole.

High-speed rail will create vibrant new opportunities within the sector and bolster reindustrialisation strategies. 

“For the first time ever in the US we will be manufacturing trains that will compete with the best in the world,“ says Michael Reininger, CEO of Brightline.

“Reaching speeds of over 300 km/h, these trains will be marked by the latest innovations designed for the modern traveller and establishing a new benchmark in transportation.”

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