<P> Alexander C. Miller had greater ambitions . In 1906, he launched the Chicago - New York Electric Air Line Railroad project to reduce the running time between the two big cities to ten hours by using electric 160 km / h (99 mph) locomotives . After seven years of effort, however, less than 50 km (31 mi) of arrow - straight track was finished . A part of the line is still used as one of the last interurbans in the US . </P> <P> In the US, some of the interurbans (i.e. trams or streetcars which run from city to city) of the early 20th century were very high - speed for their time (also Europe had and still does have some interurbans). Several high - speed rail technologies have their origin in the interurban field . </P> <P> In 1903--30 years before the conventional railways started to streamline their trains--the officials of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition organized the Electric Railway Test Commission to conduct a series of tests to develop a carbody design that would reduce wind resistance at high speeds . A long series of tests was carried . In 1905, St. Louis Car Company built a railcar for the traction magnate Henry E. Huntington, capable of speeds approaching 160 km / h (100 mph). Once it ran 32 km (20 mi) between Los Angeles and Long Beach in 15 minutes, an average speed of 130 km / h (80 mph). However, it was too heavy for much of the tracks, so Cincinnati Car Company, J.G. Brill and others pioneered lightweight constructions, use of aluminium alloys, and low - level bogies which could operate smoothly at extremely high speeds on rough interurban tracks . Westinghouse and General Electric designed motors compact enough to be mounted on the bogies . From 1930 on, the Red Devils from Cincinnati Car Company and a some other interurban railcars reached about 145 km / h (90 mph) in commercial traffic . The Red Devils weighed only 22 tons though they could seat 44 passengers . </P> <P> Extensive wind tunnel research--the first in the railway industry--was done before J.G. Brill in 1931 built the Bullet cars for Philadelphia and Western Railroad (P&W). They were capable of running at 148 km / h (92 mph). Some of them were almost 60 years in service . P&W's Norristown High Speed Line is still in use, almost 110 years after P&W in 1907 opened their double - track Upper Darby--Strafford line without a single grade crossing with roads or other railways . The entire line was governed by an absolute block signal system . </P>

Which company is a manufacture of high speed passenger train