Photo by Kevin H.

Despite the economic importance of the Northeast corridor, it’s still a pain in the ass to get from D.C. to New York by train. Sure, the Acela is a nice improvement on Amtrak’s regular service, but sometimes the premium you pay to shave a half-hour off the trip seems obscenely high. A small D.C.-based firm has started envisioning a new high-speed train that could get you from D.C. to New York in an hour, though, reports the Post:

The Northeast Maglev, a downtown D.C. firm with 30 employees, is working with Central Japan Railway Co. — which operates the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan — to develop a maglev network that would connect Washington and New York, with stops in Baltimore, Wilmington and Philadelphia, including BWI Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. Eventually, the company wants to extend the line to Boston.

Trains that use maglev technology, or magnetic levitation, typically travel faster than traditional rail — Shanghai’s maglev train runs at an average of at least 139 miles per hour, compared to Acela Express that runs at an average 84 miles per hour. The only commercial maglev lines are in Aichi, Japan, and Shanghai. Maglev vehicles are suspended above the track and use magnetic propulsion.

Don’t get too excited, though—the idea is in its infancy, would cost a ton to build and has been floated (and failed) before. It would also likely have to compete with Amtrak’s own proposal to build a high-speed rail network along the Eastern seaboard by 2040.

The last time a similar proposal came up was a decade ago, when D.C. and Maryland considered debating a 39-mile maglev line between D.C. and Baltimore. The cost—$5.1 billion—sunk the project, though.