Proposal: Integrating high-speed rail into New York and New Jersey via the East Rutherford corridor, leveraging MetLife Stadium as a key transit hub, and extending the route through Rust Belt cities

Mock Client: United States Department of Transportation

Executive Summary

Grand Central – East Rutherford – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh – Cleveland – Detroit – Chicago

The United States, the largest economy in the world, has fallen far behind its contemporaries in providing necessary infrastructure across its domain.

Transportation projects like high-speed rail have been successfully executed by Japan, China, Spain, and even developing nations such as Uzbekistan. Their efforts emphasise the relative ease of providing such a necessity to a population without the endless bureaucracy that has afflicted both the US and the United Kingdom.

It serves as a reminder that most of today’s economic powerhouses built their status through the development of train lines and routes that connected trade, people, and ideas.

America, in its current state, is particularly indifferent to public transport, following the advent of the car and President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System.

The country has become predominantly car-centric, with the few cities left with adequate transport systems experiencing such high demand that they have begun to price out the very residents they were designed to serve.

The exigency for sustainable and convenient transport is clearly desired by the American population, but the potential for such a project remains unpropitious due to economic and logistical challenges.

High-speed rail differs significantly from aviation in that it cuts through multiple land jurisdictions, increasing the number of parties involved.

However, the mass construction of interstate rail lines across the world—whether through ethical or unethical means—demonstrates the feasibility of such projects.

Multiple aviation and automobile industries have a vested interest in denouncing any type of high-speed rail project. A prime example of this was the proposed Madison–Milwaukee line during Obama’s presidency, for which an $800 million federal grant was provided. The funds were ultimately redirected to infrastructure projects for the automobile industry, leading to road and bridge renovations instead.

The social stratification of public transport is apparent, with the privacy of car ownership as desirable as ever—often justified by claims of safety and convenience.

The aim is to use the seemingly trivial yet culturally significant fabric of sports in the United States to shift public opinion, generating large-scale publicity and economic gain at each phase of the project.

The New York Giants and New York Jets both now play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will also host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

The stadium sits within the Meadowlands Sports Complex, surrounded by uninhabited marshlands owned by the New Jersey Mining Company (NJMC) and the extensive parking lots required for a National Football League tailgate.

Despite its proximity to New York City and its role as the home of two premier football teams, the land remains underdeveloped. As such, the area presents a ripe opportunity for development and serves as an ideal launchpad for a high-speed rail line.

The Lincoln Tunnel, which is automobile-based, lies directly perpendicular to the stadium. Adjacent to the tunnel is Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan’s largest station.

What should be a 30-minute drive from Grand Central to MetLife instead becomes a four- hour ordeal on game days and event days due to traffic congestion. Though parking is plentiful, and tailgating is an integral tradition, it presents a catch-22 for drivers who seek efficiency while also wanting time to drink before the game.

Without significantly reducing the 27,000 parking spots available at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, a high-speed rail line could slash journey times to three minutes, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of public transportation while also promoting responsible drinking.

The surrounding areas of New Jersey and boroughs such as Queens and the Bronx lag behind Manhattan and Brooklyn in terms of development.

The social and economic influence of Manhattan is not reflected across the Hudson, with large portions of land underutilised by derelict industries, poor land-use practices, vast parking lots, and multi-lane freeways.

Areas like Secaucus and East Rutherford could be primed for investment, using efficient transport links to drive urbanisation—like the successful transformations seen in Tempe, Arizona, and Charleston, South Carolina.

The introduction of homes, multi-use businesses, and other infrastructure necessary for healthy urbanism could incentivise investment from both corporations and individuals.

The subsequent phases of this project will aim to connect New York with once-floundering but now gradually revitalising Rust Belt cities.

Rust Belt cities such as Detroit and Cleveland suffered significant economic, and population decline due to globalisation in the 20th century but have recently begun to experience a resurgence.

Connecting these cities with the largest economy in the United States will accelerate their growth at a faster rate.

There have been plans to build upon the Acela line connecting New York to Washington, D.C., but investment may be better allocated towards elevating the median state rather than concentrating efforts on already thriving economic hubs.