NYC to Boston in less than 2 hours via train: Here’s how

NEW YORK – Imagine being able to go from the Big Apple to Beantown in 100 minutes. 

After nearly ten years since its inital proposal, the bullet train is finally gaining popularity among lawmakers. 

The proposal known as the North Atlantic Rail (NAR) is a passenger rail that will take travelers from New York to Boston at speeds up to 225 miles per hour. 

Rick Harnish, the executive director of the Chicago-based High Speed Rail Alliance, part of the coalition behind the proposal says the service will make travel more enjoyable. 

“You need to make it easier for people to travel. You need me to make it less expensive for people to travel, and you need to make it more productive,” Harnish said. 

The two cities are roughly 216 miles apart, which is typically a four-hour ride via train or car–meaning the rail would nearly cut that trip in half. 

That’s two hours quicker than the Acela service, which is the fastest train that Amtrak now runs.

New Amtrak train

The project would require digging a 16-mile tunnel under the Long Island Sound, Port Jefferson, and Milford, Connecticut. 

The route would run along new and existing tracks from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, and then on new tracks under the Sound. 

New and existing tracks would also be used for the Connecticut leg of the trip.

There are major concerns about the project though. 

Not only is the project expected to cost around $50 billion, but environmentalists worry about the impact construction could have on the ecosystem. 

“We’ve come a long way and wildlife is really returning and thriving in Long Island, and we’d hate to do something quickly without sufficient planning…that would imperil that progress,” Roger Reynolds, a  Legal advisor for Save the Sound says. 

Train from New York to Boston

The NAR is expected to drive jobs and bring major economic benefits to the region. 

Currently, 24 U.S. House members from all seven states are in support of the plan. 

Amtrak would be the main service provider and commuters say that the proposal would be good for business. 

“I think faster, and more convenient service is great especially for business,” one Amtrak commuter said. 

If approved, the construction would begin in 2028.