Although not considered true high-speed, the Amtrak program will be faster than its current trains and include track improvements to reduce travel time.

The electrified rail line would take travelers along the median of Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

It is expanding its Florida service to Orlando, providing a rare intercity train connection at a major airport terminal and making the trip from Miami in three hours.

Electrified trains traveling at 220 mph would take passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours if California’s ambitious rail project comes to fruition.

The challenge: Voters approved the project in 2008, but general support has waned as the price tag — originally estimated at $33 billion — continues to climb and the timeline keeps extending.

It would need to identify funding sources and acquire right of way for a route that would traverse urban areas, uneven terrain, major rivers and an international border.

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