Thanks to lighter cars and more advanced tilting tech, the new trains will have a higher top and average speed than the original Acela. They're due to enter service in 2021.
A rendering of what the new high-speed trains could look like in California. Since no decision has been made for specific rolling stock, this is just an illustration.
A few things about the future trains are known, since they're part of the overall requirements for the project. Controversially, the trains must be capable of speeds of 220 mph (354 mk/h).
220 mph (354 km/h) isn't impossible, multiple trains currently on the market can do that and more, but few are run higher than 200 mph in normal service as it's more economical.
Though Brightline/Virgin Trains USA haven't announced what rolling stock will be on their proposed Victorville-Las Vegas route, Siemens Chargers are a likely candidate. Brightline already uses them on their Florida service, and they're built in California.
They have a top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h), just barely qualifying as high-speed for our purposes. We explored this train extensively during its Pacific Surfliner unveiling.
