08-08-2025
Amtrak's new high-speed Acela trains are coming soon to Boston, New York, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor
Amtrak's newest high-speed trains are coming soon to the Northeast Corridor. The "NextGen" Acela trains will start serving riders between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28.
Five of the new trains will be hitting the rails initially. Amtrak says 28 NextGen Acela trains will be in service by 2027.
Other cities that will be served by the NextGen trains include Baltimore, Wilmington, Delaware; Philadelphia; New Haven, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island.
The NextGen trains can reach top speeds of 160 mph, which is 10 mph faster than the current Acela fleet. They feature a "tilt system" that will help the trains navigate curves at high speeds.
The new trains have plugs on every seat for riders to charge their devices, free high-speed Wi-Fi, reading lights, winged headrests for privacy and larger bathrooms.
"It's a smoother, gentler, more comfortable ride" Amtrak Executive Vice President Eliot Hamlisch said.
The new trains will allow for 27% more seats per departure, Amtrak says. Adding the NextGen trains will also allow for more weekday and weekend service.
Other cities that will be served by the NextGen trains include Baltimore, Wilmington, Delaware; Philadelphia; New Haven, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island.
In 2019, CBS News got a first look at the NextGen trains that Amtrak said would shave about 15 to 20 minutes off the busy route between New York and D.C. At the time, the company said it hoped to have the trains running by 2021.
A 2023 watchdog report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General on the years-long delay found that vendor's designs had not yet met federal safety requirements and the trainsets had defects that needed to be fixed.
