After more than a decade of planning and years of testing, Amtrak’s next-generation high-speed train, the Acela, is finally scheduled to begin service early next year.
The new Acela trains should begin commercial operation sometime in spring 2025, the railroad operator confirmed this week.
This is a milestone that brings much greater comfort and capacity to Amtrak’s flagship Northeast Corridor service, which connects Washington, D.C., and Boston via New York City.
The new trains will “upgrade the travel experience for millions of passengers and set the stage for the next generation of train travel in the United States and the Northeast Corridor,” Amtrak said.
Related: Amtrak introduces new self-check-in option on Acela trains
significantly delayed timeline
The fact that travelers won’t see the new Acela trains until next spring is certainly behind Amtrak’s previously announced schedule.
In fact, the new Acela trains are more than three years behind schedule and have faced a series of obstacles, including the coronavirus pandemic. A federal watchdog report last year found that Flagged defects It warned that problems could further delay the start of service for a number of new Acela train sets.
This time last year, Amtrak told me It is hoped that passengers will be able to board the new trains by the end of 2024.
final stretch
But it appears the wait for passengers is nearing an end.
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Amtrak said in an update last week that it recently completed more than 900 test runs of the new Acela trains in collaboration with train set maker Alstom and plans to submit data to the Federal Railroad Administration soon. This is an important final step.
Amtrak’s multibillion-dollar Next Generation Acela program will replace aging Acela vehicles with 28 new fleets equipped with personal electrical outlets, USB ports, touchless restrooms, and vastly improved cafe cars. Replace.
Infrastructure improvements along the Northeast Corridor should eventually allow trains to reach speeds of up to 160 mph.
Related: Amtrak Guest Rewards: How to earn and redeem points on rail travel
Everyone on board
The news comes just as Amtrak announced record ridership and revenue for fiscal year 2024, which runs from October 2023 to September 2024. This included a 9% year-over-year increase in Acela passenger numbers and an 18% increase in passenger traffic. In the Tohoku region, it is more widespread.
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