Hi, does anyone know why the maximum speed in the Penisula Corridor route is 79 mp/h, instead of (for example) 80 mp/h ?
That's right. American passenger railroads, including Amtrak, are slowly implementing PTC(Positive Train Control) so they can go faster.
does this mean they can soon finally do at least 100 mph on Peninsula Corridor Just like European Commuter Trains and HST's ??
That depends on the future of the high speed rail project which is planned to share the right of way with the current commuter trains between Gilroy and San Francisco. If all goes well, electric trains could reach 110mph on the Corridor. Someone who lives in the area might have more current information than I do.
No they will still be limited to 79mph for the foreseeable future, with the only performance upgrade being faster acceleration due to better starting traction effort than the current stock. Also the California HSR is still only limited to Merced to Bakersfield and still won't be running for who knows how long.
