US Secretary Sean Duffy rolls back high‑speed rail noise rules

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will deregulate certain railway noise‑emission standards that have been cited as a barrier to high‑speed rail development. The proposed rule makes the 96 dB(A) noise limit for trains traveling between 160 and 220 mph optional and creates a special approval process for trains exceeding 220 mph, aiming to encourage manufacturers and operators to pursue faster services.

The United States currently has no passenger trains operating above 160 mph; the fastest service is Amtrak’s NextGen Acela, which reaches 160 mph on the Northeast Corridor and complies with existing EPA noise standards. The Federal Railroad Administration’s earlier framework set voluntary benchmarks for higher speeds, and the new deregulation seeks to remove what officials describe as “red tape” that hampers rail innovators.