Buttigieg was asked to confirm the veracity of reports that Amtrak’s Acela route - its high-speed rail service along the US northeastern coast between Boston and Washington - would be doubling in speed as a result of investment from the infrastructure bill. He initially responded that it "doesn’t quite work that way," but then confirmed that it is a part of the infrastructure plan.
"No, we are [going to put money into making our trains faster]. It's just not gonna come overnight and it's not gonna be as dramatic as that. But, no, it’s unquestionably gonna give us a stronger train network on the Northeast Corridor", Buttigieg said.
The Transportation Secretary added, however, that the investment will extend beyond the US northeastern corridor and that places such as Texas and states in the Midwest would also benefit from more frequent and reliable high-speed rail systems.
When asked about the profitability of rail services in those areas, Buttigieg replied that they are not intended to make a profit, but that part of the US federal government’s job is to "make an economy possible" by supporting infrastructure that may not be profitable such as roads and trains.