Latest news with #AmtrakAcela
Forbes
11-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Amtrak's High-Speed NextGen Acela Ready To Roll
Amtrak's NextGen Acela Amtrak As a frequent rider on Amtrak's Acela, which connects the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston, I'm happy to announce that high-speed rail travel between Boston and Washington, DC is about to take a leap forward. On August 28,2025, after years of anticipation and delays, Amtrak will launch the NextGen Acela. It's a high-speed train, hopefully the first of many such improvements, as the US finally rolls out some high-speed rail capability. 'NextGen Acela is more than a new train—it's an evolution of travel.' There are 28 brand new Amtrak trainsets entering service through 2027 that are being manufactured by Alstom. Five of the new trainsets will begin running on August 28, 2025, with the additional 23 trainsets joining the fleet through 2027. On board the NextGen Acela Amtrak High speed, in this case, is relative. While the new NextGen Acela is capable of running at speeds of up to 160 mph, that's only about 10 miles per hour faster than current Acela top speed. It remains to be seen how much faster the overall travel time will be between Boston and New York, for example, which currently clocks in at three hours and thirty minutes. In my forthcoming book, National Geographic's 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Rides (published in October 2025), I cover high-speed trains around the world in places as diverse as China, Europe, and Japan. To compare with the NextGen Acela, the Shanghai Maglev train in China is currently the fastest train in operation, at 268 mph, but that's a record that's likely to be broken very soon (and already has been shattered in test runs of newer trains in Japan). Still, for those of us who live in the Northeast and ride the Acela with some frequency, this is good news. Amtrak's NextGen Acela Amtrak The NextGen Acela fleet was assembled at Alstom's facility in Hornell, NY, by Machinists Union workers, using components from over 180 suppliers across 29 states and creating approximately 15,000 U.S. jobs, according to Amtrak. The new NextGen Acela trains will offer 27% more seats per departure, a much-needed increase in capacity on trains that are often running at full capacity. In addition, they will have expanded weekday and weekend schedules. The new trains promise 'a first-class travel experience for every passenger,' says Amtrak, with ergonomically designed seats, expansive windows, more legroom, and USB ports and power outlets at every seat. The new trains will offer free, high-speed 5G-enabled Wi-Fi, as well as reading lights. These amenities promise to take the Acela experience to another level, maybe a bit closer to the comforts found on European high-speed trains. Dining on board the Amtrak NextGen Acela Amtrak An enhanced on-board dining experience, with a selection of high-quality fresh food and beverages available in the new Cafe Acela, will also debut, with menus overseen by celebrity restaurateur Stephen Starr. '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.' Amtrak's Fleet Modernization NextGen Acela is part of Amtrak's broader fleet modernization plan, which includes new Amtrak Airo trains debuting on the Amtrak Cascades, Northeast Regional, and East Coast routes. The company has more efficient long-distance locomotives and is promising upgraded interiors in Coaches, Dining Cars, Sleepers, and Sightseer Lounges, with new seat cushions, upholstery, lighting, and finishes. In the coming months, Amtrak will be operating both the current Acela equipment and the NextGen Acela trains as the new trains transition into the fleet. You can book NextGen Acela tickets on the Amtrak app, website and at station kiosks. The new trains will be gradually phased in over the next two years and run alongside the current Acela trains. Visit Amtrak for details. Forbes 3 Long-Distance Amtrak Routes That Make For An Unforgettable Rail Trip By Everett Potter
The Independent
08-08-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Amtrak reveals launch date for new 160mph tilting trains on the East Coast
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."
Business Insider
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I've spent 95 hours on Amtrak trains in 5 different classes, from coach to a bedroom. The best deal was a premium cabin.
Over the past four years, I've spent roughly 95 hours crisscrossing the US on Amtrak trains, and each time, I've had a different experience. I've lounged on a couch in a private bedroom with a full bathroom, transformed two seats into a bunk in a 20-square-foot cabin called a roomette, and received complimentary meals in the dining car on overnight trains. I've also saved money in coach and upgraded to business and first classes on shorter rides. In total, I've sampled five different booking types on seven trains from the Northeast to the Southwest. Of all the booking types I've sampled, one offers the best value. Here's a breakdown of the five seating types on Amtrak trains and which premium seat is most worth the upgrade. In 2022, I spent $120 on a two-and-a-half-hour ride in business class on Amtrak's Acela train from Baltimore to New York regular Amtrak trains with several coach train cars, the Acela fleet has only business and first-class Acela is also faster than Amtrak regional trains. My trip from Baltimore to NYC was 20 minutes shorter than it would have been on a regular Amtrak train.A few months later, I booked a 10-hour ride on an Amtrak Maple Leaf train from NYC to Niagara Falls, New York. I paid $168 for a business class seat, which was $100 more than a coach booking on the same tickets included one plush seat with extra legroom and a complimentary drink. A representative of the train line told Business Insider that business-class perks on all Amtrak trains also include fully refunded rides if they're canceled before departure and a 25% point bonus on Amtrak Guest business-class seats were wider than the ones in coach, but they weren't significantly more comfortable, in my opinion. The ticket did not include a meal or in-seat service like the higher-tier the bookings didn't have as many perks as I expected in a premium I wouldn't upgrade to business class on most Amtrak trains, I would still book a seat on the Amtrak Acela train again. I think it's worth paying a little extra to save time and arrive at my destination sooner than I would on a regional train. The Acela train is the only Amtrak train with a first-class seating car, according to Amtrak's website. I took it from NYC to Baltimore in a New Yorker, part of the allure of a first-class ticket for me was having access to Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge, a quiet waiting area for select Amtrak customers with comfortable seats and free passengers and those traveling in roomette and bedroom accommodations get in for free on the day of their trip, while business-class passengers can pay $50 to access the traveling from Philadelphia, Boston's South Station, and Washington, DC, also has access to a lounge. But there are 10 other stops on the Amtrak Acela that don't offer this seats are slightly larger than business-class seats, although I found them to be just as stiff. The first-class ticket also comes with a complimentary meal and in-seat service. According to a press release, the train's menu got an upgrade in 2023 in collaboration with STARR Restaurant first class had more perks than business class, comfort on the ride is the most important thing for me when traveling by train. And while the first-class seat was larger than the business-class seat, it wasn't comfortable enough to make the upgrade worth I couldn't help thinking that splitting a private roomette with a friend might be even cheaper (more on that later). I've taken two overnight rides in Amtrak's roomette accommodation — a private cabin that's around 20 square feet. I'd booked an Amtrak roomette before, so I knew what to expect when I entered the 23-square-foot space — two seats facing each other that formed a lower bunk by night, a pullout table between them, and another bunk that pulled down from had been nearly four years since my last overnight Amtrak ride, and as soon as I sat down, I could tell the seats were newer and far more Amtrak spokesman, Marc Magliari, told Business Insider that the entire Superliner fleet was getting an interior refresh, and 76% of them — including my ride — had already been updated."The seats have the same frame, but the cushions are new, and there's more lumbar support in this current seat cushion design than the old seat cushion design," Magliari said. "If you see gray, vinyl seating, then you know that you are in a fresh room."The vinyl felt much smoother on my skin than the pilled, blue fabric seats in my previous Amtrak accommodations. The upgraded seat cushions weren't stiff like the old ones either. I thought the seats alone made the new Amtrak roomette cozier for a long ride. I paid $1,000 for a 30-hour ride in an Amtrak bedroom, which is similar to a roomette, but it's double the size — and price. In October 2021, I spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom accommodation on a train from Miami to 40 square feet, the bedroom is the biggest train cabin I've booked. And I used the additional space to dance around and get my blood flowing throughout the there was plenty of lounging space — a couch transformed into a bed, another bunk pulled down from the ceiling, and a chair pulled out from the back wall. Beneath the wide window, there was a foldout table, room also had a feature I've never experienced on another overnight train — a full bathroom, including a shower, a toilet, and a wash basin on a wide vanity with three mirrors and ample storage for my own private bathroom made this one of my best overnight train experiences so far. And like my ride in the roomette, this ticket included meals. While I'd splurge on a bedroom for long-haul trips if my budget allowed, I think the roomette is the best deal Amtrak offers.
