[ghaff]

For those who don't know, people take trains between cities in the US Northeast Corridor all the time. In fact, that's pretty much Amtrak's only profitable region (money that it then loses in the rest of the country). And Amtrak actually has significant modernization plans in part because some routes are at capacity during busy times.

[TheCoelacanth]

There would be even higher usage if Amtrak service in the region was actually good instead of just passable. The fastest service between New York and DC averages only 82 mph and it's even slower if you go past either of those cities. The allegedly "high-speed" service between New York and Boston averages only 66 mph. That's not even hitting the upper end of highway speeds.