Aug 28, 10:42 AM

Amtrak Deploys 160 mph NextGen Acela on Northeast Corridor

Amtrak began passenger service with its long-delayed NextGen Acela on Thursday, dispatching the first train from Washington Union Station to New York and Boston. The launch marks the most significant equipment upgrade in the Northeast Corridor since Acela service started a quarter-century ago, and is intended to reinforce the route’s role as the nation’s only inter-city rail line capable of high-speed operation. The Avelia Liberty trainsets, built by French manufacturer Alstom, can reach 160 mph—about 10 mph quicker than the current fleet—by exploiting upgraded track segments south of Providence, Rhode Island. Each consist offers 27 percent more seating, larger windows, free high-speed 5G Wi-Fi and a tilt mechanism to maintain speed through curves. Five of the 28 ordered trainsets are entering revenue service immediately, with the remainder scheduled to be phased in through 2027. Alstom assembled the equipment in Hornell, New York, using components sourced from 29 states; Amtrak says the program created roughly 1,200 U.S. manufacturing jobs. For now, published timetables are largely unchanged and in some cases a few minutes longer, reflecting infrastructure constraints that Amtrak expects to address over the next year. The 160 mph ceiling remains well below the 200 mph-plus benchmarks of Japanese and European bullet-train networks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who joined the inaugural run, called the rollout “one great step” toward broader U.S. high-speed rail ambitions. He also signaled that the administration may assume control of Washington Union Station next month and is weighing a similar move at Boston’s South Station to tackle maintenance and safety concerns. The introduction comes as Amtrak seeks to curb losses after eliminating 450 jobs in May and continues its search for a new chief executive.