Amtrak can't go much faster; Company president tells Congress high-speed service a distant dream.(Business)

Byline: SARAH KARUSH - Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Even if it spent $7 billion on track upgrades, Amtrak couldn't reduce the travel time between Washington and New York to less than 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is only 25 minutes less than the trip now takes, the company's president told Congress on Wednesday.

The statement by Alex Kummant came during a presentation on the federally funded railroad's capital needs. During the hearing, members of the House transportation committee expressed frustration about the lack of truly high-speed rail service in the U.S. The closest thing Amtrak has to high-speed service is the Acela Express, the railroad's premier …