Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00016777
Transport
Passenger Rail USA
Amtrak's New Acela Trains Will Be Faster, More Efficient
Peter Burgess
New-Acela-Courtesy-Amtrak.jpg Courtesy Amtrak
Amtrak's New Acela Trains Will Be Faster, More Efficient
The new trains will be rolled out in 2021.
The hassle of long airport security lines and frustrating delays is making train travel around the world look increasingly more appealing. But much to the exasperation of business travelers and vacationers alike, the U.S. national rail service Amtrak has historically lagged behind countries in Asia and Europe in terms of cutting-edge technology. After a recent funding announcement, it still does—but by significantly less. On Friday, at the Wilmington, Delaware train station named after him, Vice President Joe Biden announced a $2.45 billion government loan to Amtrak that will be used primarily to replace the aging fleet of Acelas, high-speed trains that operate in the Northeast Corridor's busy routes between Boston and Washington, D.C.
Amtrak hopes to build 28 new trains to replace Acela's existing 20-strong fleet. The new trains will be faster and include more amenities, with the first of the new trains to be put into service by 2021. While the upgrade in speed might still not reach the level of the fastest trains in the world (the Shanghai Maglev, the world's fastest, tops out at 267 miles per hour) the new Acela fleet will be swifter and more comfortable. Currently, Acela trains have a top speed of 150 mph, but only ever really hit 135 mph at certain stretches. The new trains are designed in consultation with France's Alstom, the company behind the TGV (200 mph), and will have a max speed of 186 mph. However, that doesn't mean the trains will actually be able to reach those peak speeds: The track system still lags behind and would only be able to carry the new trains at around 160 mph, according to the New York Times.
Acela has been one of Amtrak's most successful initiatives. Currently they carry around 3.4 million passengers a year between Boston, New York, and Washington, and officials expect capacity to increase by 40 percent with the upgrades. “These [trains] and the modernization and improvement of infrastructure will provide our customers with the mobility and experience of the future,” said Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman in a statement.
While new speeds may not shave off significant hours for business travelers commuting across the Northeast, the loan also pays for upgrades to service. New trains will depart every hour between New York and Boston, and every half-hour between Washington and New York: The new equipment is also eight times more reliable than the first generation Acela fleet, according to officials, which means fewer delays. If heightened speed and efficiency isn't enough for you to never fly from LaGuardia to Logan again, there are the little things: Acela's interiors will be getting an overhaul, with a space age aesthetic, better Wi-Fi, and personal outlets, reading lights, and USB ports at every seat. Finally, there's also good news for the planet. Due to a more lightweight and aerodynamic exterior, the train's energy consumption will drop by 20 percent.
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