once a large and vital part of the nation's passenger transportation network, plays a limited role as compared to transportation patterns in many other countries. However, US passenger service continues to grow, and in August 2016, the largest single loan ever given by the U.S. Department of Transportation ($2.45 billion) was awarded to Amtrak. The loan will help pay for massive upgrades and to modernize service and rebuild aging infrastructure along the busy Northeast Corridor. The loan will also help pay for new rail stations and more than 20 new high speed trains. Currently, it takes roughly 2½ hours to travel from Washington’s Union Station to New York’s Penn Station on Acela trains, which can travel roughly 135 mph. The new trains will be capable of traveling at speeds up to 190 mph