After years of delays, new Acelas launching on August 28

Washington Post

07-08-2025

New Amtrak Acela trains, delayed for years over production and testing issues, are coming to the Northeast Corridor on Aug. 28, the agency announced Friday.
In a statement, Amtrak President Roger Harris called the 28 new train sets 'an evolution' that will set 'a new standard for American train travel.' Only five of the trains will go into service immediately on the route from Boston to D.C.; the rest will be added to the fleet over the next two years.
The new Acelas can reach top speeds of 160 mph versus 150 on the older model and tilt around curves more easily. The current Acela takes two hours and 50 minutes to get from D.C. to New York; Amtrak's near-term plans estimate a trip can be 20 minutes faster. The trains will also have upgraded WiFi connectivity, brighter lighting, bigger windows and more comfortable seats, the agency said, and carry 25 percent more riders while using less energy. Every seat will have its own USB port.
'It's a fundamentally better experience than anything Americans have been able to travel on to date in this country,' Laura Mason, who is in charge of major capital projects at Amtrak, said in a video promoting the change.
The current Acelas are a quarter-century old, and replacements were supposed to roll out in 2021. But they were delayed for years in part due to difficulties posed by the aging track and catenary wire along the corridor, as well as logistical issues with testing the trains. The disruption of the coronavirus pandemic caused further problems.
'The legacy Acela trainsets are past their useful service life,' Amtrak's inspector general wrote in 2023. 'Delays have already resulted in significant cost increases, operational impacts, and delayed revenue.'
Ridership on the Acela, Amtrak's highest-speed service, was at an all-time high before the pandemic. While overall Amtrak ridership has bounced back, more affordable options have been growing faster than the premier trains.
The new trains were built by French manufacturer Alstom at a plant in Hornell, New York, at a cost of $2.5 billion, including maintenance. Amtrak says it will also have new trains in service on the East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest next year, part of a $7.3 billion upgrade.
President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill provided funding for long-overdue repairs and improvements along the Northeast Corridor and elsewhere. Next month will also see the reopening of the line between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.