Amtrak’s new 160mph tilting trains serving stations on the Northeast Corridor will enter service on August 28, it has been announced.
The next-generation Acela trains will run from Washington DC’s Union Station to Boston via Philadelphia, New York Penn Station, New Haven, and Providence, a total distance of 457 miles.
The current end-to-end journey time with the tilting Acela trains introduced in 2000 is typically six hours and 40 minutes.
How much time the new trains shave off that hasn’t been revealed yet, but they do have a top service speed that’s 10mph faster — though this can only be achieved on certain sections of the mostly 110mph route — and an enhanced “anticipative” tilting system that not only allows for a smoother ride, Amtrak claims, but for faster speeds through curves.
Amtrak also points out that the new Acela offers 27 percent more seating capacity per departure and upgraded interiors in standard, business, and first-class cars with more legroom.
Features include onboard cafe cars, high-speed 5G-enabled Wi-Fi, in-seat USB ports and plug sockets, individual reading lights, winged headrests that Amtrak says “provide more comfort and separation,” and seat covers made out of recycled leather.
In first class, there are solo seats and an improved at-seat meal service featuring dishes by the current Acela meal provider — James Beard award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr.
New to Cafe Acela, meanwhile, is the addition of a grab-and-go self-service for “quick and easy checkout.”
A cart service will also travel the aisles on select departures.
To book, passengers can use an interactive reservation system using the Amtrak app.
Five new trainsets will be in service initially, with the number rising to 28 through 2027.
Though the trains are designed by French firm Alstom, which makes France’s famed 200mph TGVs, Amtrak revealed that the NextGen Acela fleet was assembled at Alstom’s facility in Hornell, New York, using components from over 180 suppliers across 29 states, creating approximately 15,000 jobs.
“NextGen Acela is more than a new train — it’s an evolution of travel,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “In just a few weeks, history will be made with the debut of NextGen Acela as we launch a new standard for American train travel.”
