After more than a decade of planning and years of tests, Amtrak’s high-speed, next-generation Acela trains are finally set to enter service early next year.
The new Acela trains should enter revenue service at some point during the spring of 2025, the rail operator confirmed this week.
It’s a milestone that should bring far greater comfort — and capacity — to Amtrak’s key Northeast Corridor service that runs between 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 America and on the Northeast Corridor,” Amtrak said.
Related: Amtrak debuts new self-check-in option on Acela trains
A much-delayed timeline
The fact that travelers won’t see the new Acela trains until next spring is a delay from Amtrak’s previously announced timeline, to be sure.
In fact, the new Acela trains are well over three years behind schedule, having encountered a series of hurdles — the coronavirus pandemic among them. Last year, a federal watchdog’s report flagged defects on a slew of new Acela train sets, warning the problems threatened to further delay their arrival into service.
This time last year, Amtrak had told me it hoped passengers might board the new trains by the end of 2024.
Final stretch
However, the wait for passengers does seem to be nearing its end.
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In an update last week, Amtrak said it recently wrapped up more than 900 test runs of the new Acela trains with Alstom (the train sets’ manufacturer) and planned to soon submit data to the Federal Railroad Administration — a key final step.
Amtrak’s multibillion-dollar next-generation Acela program will replace its aging Acela fleet with 28 brand-new train sets with personal outlets, USB ports, contactless restrooms and a much-improved cafe car.
Infrastructure improvements along the Northeast Corridor should also, eventually, allow the trains to hit top speeds of up to 160 mph.
Related: Amtrak Guest Rewards: How to earn and redeem points with train travel
All aboard
This news comes as Amtrak just announced a record-setting ridership and revenue year in fiscal year 2024, which ran from October 2023 to September 2024. That included a 9% increase in Acela passengers over the prior year — and an 18% jump in ridership in the Northeast region, more broadly.
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