Amtrak

The national passenger rail operator that owns most of the Northeast Corridor infrastructure and is executing the Portal North Bridge track cutover. - Primary operator of Northeast Corridor intercity service; leading Portal North Bridge cutover

The Portal Bridge was built in 1910, the same year William Howard Taft was president. On February 13, 2026, Amtrak began connecting its replacement to the Northeast Corridor—the first major infrastructure upgrade on America's busiest rail line in over a century. The new Portal North Bridge sits 50 feet above the Hackensack River, high enough that ships can pass underneath without the bridge opening, eliminating a chokepoint that has caused 2,000 hours of delays since 2014.

Updated Feb 10

The national passenger railroad that briefly assumed planning responsibilities before exiting the project. - Ended involvement in Texas Central project

The United States has never built a true high-speed rail line. For over a decade, Texas Central Railway has attempted to change that with a 240-mile bullet train connecting Houston and Dallas—using Japanese Shinkansen technology to cut a 3.5-hour drive to 90 minutes. On April 14, 2025, the Trump administration terminated a $64 million federal planning grant, calling the project 'a waste of taxpayer funds' and returning the initiative entirely to private control.

Updated Feb 10