Amtrak outside of the Northeast Corridor is not that useful. Maybe they should truly invest their money to build a true 180+ mph dedicated line between Boston and Washington, DC like what the Japanese did with the Shinkansen and call it a day.
The problem with highs speed rail in the U.S. is that it would have to be completely segregated from all other transportation and people. That means a rail line where every road crossing has an over pass or under pass. You would need tall fencing to keep the uncivilized from throwing stuff at the train. It would be a mess. You would also need engineers that stay awake.
That's a good idea - except the tracks would have to run in a straight line from Providence to New Rochelle, and from Iselin to New Carrollton, and, as such, would go through the estates of really big, really important people - people SO important that you and I don't know their names.
That is never, never, never going to happen.