You cannot cite Acela's speed over the entire Boston to Washington route. The only high speed section is Washington to New York which does the 226 miles in 2 hours 45 min or less - in great comfort, especially in first class. To run a Shinkansen type train you would have to eliminate the curves which would be a massive project involving considerable eminent domain issues. I would love to see it but i cant see the Obama adm pushing for anything like that. If Obama, supposedly pro rail, is uninterested imagine how a Republican adm would react! A project like the Shinkansen or TGV will only happen when there is a serious change in cultural attitudes in the US. There may be support along the densely populated New York-Philadelphia-Washington corridor but not likely on a national level and such a project would require federal funding.
As for the reminder that the first generation Shinkansen were built in the 60's, I know that very well. I said clearly that i knew only 1st gen Shinkansen (from when I lived in Japan in late 70s. At that time they were running the original trains on the only line they had, the Tokaido line) Do the new trains have 2-1 seating¿. Generation 1 were cramped in economy class with 3-2 seating as I recall. I remember that 1st class "Green Car" had 2-2 seating. Shinkansen safety recird is indeed excellent, unlike that of the Chinese whose railway administration is notoriously corrupt (a New Yorker article a few months ago went into depth on the extraordinary level of corruption of Chinese Railways). Here though we are talking about Argentina. The Amtrak model is much more realistic . That was my point.
As for speeds in the US, it is very true that trains are generally slow outisde the NY-Wshhington line. The legendary Santa Fe Super Chief reached speeds of 150 mph in the 1930's. Many Amtrak trains ran much faster in the 1930s. It all has to do with investment in infrastructure. Since the end of the Second World War the US has focused on highways, built at taxpayer expense. Rail was put at a great disadvantage as a result. In the case of LA's once vast urban rail system, there was conspiracy by the auto industry to destroy the system in favor of buses. Incidentaly, in the 1930's the US was the world leader in railways.
