High - speed trains are not widely available in the U.S. , though some can top 100 mph . Expert : The Japanese train is ` ` enormously fast , '' nothing like U.S. trains . The Federal Railroad Authority regulates U.S. train speeds and other safety standards . President Barack Obama used the 2009 economic stimulus package to dole out $ 8 billion for high-speed rail projects , and in 2011 proposed spending $ 53 billion over six years to promote construction of high-speed lines around the nation . Efforts to expand high - speed rail have met with little success in U.S .
High - speed trains are not widely available in the U.S. , though some can top 100 mph . Expert : The Japanese train is ` ` enormously fast , '' nothing like U.S. trains . The Federal Railroad Authority regulates U.S. train speeds and other safety standards . Efforts to expand high - speed rail have met with little success in U.S .