Amtrak’s New Acela Trains

Amtrak’s oldest new trains are arriving shortly: the NextGen Acela (finally) starts running between Washington and Boston on August 28^th.

Ordered in 2016 for $1.8 billion, the first trains arrived from the Alstom assembly facility in Hornell, NY, in 2020. That meant jobs there for 1300 workers and business for 180 suppliers across 29 states. These new trains are 95% “made in the USA”.

Like any new trains, the new Acelas required extensive testing, especially for crash worthiness and compatibility with the aging tracks and wires in the Northeast Corridor.  That’s when the problems started.

Even before field testing, it took Amtrak 14 attempts to finally pass computer simulations. In road testing, windows shattered, there was water corrosion and leaks in the hydraulic tilting system. Road testing also found issues with the trains’ wheels’ traction on our old tracks. And the pantographs (drawing electric power from the overhead catenary wires) kept losing contact at high speed. Some 129 field modifications were ordered. 

That’s why these sleek new trains are about three or four years “late”.  But was it worth the wait?

Twenty-eight train sets are on order but only five will be in service to start, the rest going into service by 2027. They’ll replace the first-gen Acelas which have been running for up to 27 years, accumulating millions of miles of travel.

Despite constant maintenance and repairs, the older Acelas have been showing their age. Reports indicate that some train sets have been stored, cannibalized for spare parts to keep the other aging trains running. Eventually the old trains will all be scrapped. 

Is the NextGen Acela ready for prime time? We shall see. But beware of the PR hype coming your way from Amtrak, proclaiming NextGen Acela as the savior of American passenger rail.

Make no mistake… these are nice new trains. The train sets will be bigger: nine cars vs.six, carrying up to 386 passengers vs 304.  And the new Acela trains can add three more cars if needed while the old Acela consists were permanently coupled.  And with more train sets, there will hopefully be a greater frequency of service. 

The interior of the new cars looks sweet… comfy seats, fold-down tables, power plugs and more wheelchair spots. There will be a new Café Car and promised (free) 5G Wi-Fi connectivity. Seating will be 2 x 2 in Business Class (there is no coach class) and 2 x 1 in First Class with meals there brought to your seat. The windows will be larger and the ride is said to be smoother, even at top speed.

But here’s where the hyperbole hits the tracks.

The NextGen Acelas are being described as offering “160 mph” speeds. But there are only 32 miles of the 457 mile tracks from DC to Boston that can handle those speeds… four miles in New Jersey and 28 miles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

In Connecticut the new Acelas, like the old ones, will go no faster than Metro-North… maybe up to 90 mph in a few stretches. You can blame our many bridges and curving tracks for the lower speed limits.

There is no word yet on fares, though they will probably match existing Acela fares.  This is already an expensive ride:  one-way from Stamford to Boston is about $330 in Business class and $573 in First (compared to $134 and $227 on the slower, 50+ year old Amfleet Northeast Regional trains). Running time on Acela, about three hours.  On the older trains, three and a half hours.

Are those fares worth the promised speed and comfort? Maybe if you’re on an expense account. But I’ll take it for a spin (on my own dime) and will let you know.

Jim Cameron is founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. The views he expresses in his “Talking Transportation” column are his alone. Jim Cameron is also the Program Director of Darien TV79, his town’s cable TV station, as well as serving on Darien’s Board of Ethics and Blight Review Board.  In his spare time, he’s an avid train spotter.