Amtrak’s NextGen Acela Highspeed Trains is scheduled to debut after years of delays this month.
Amtrak announced Thursday that a new high-speed Acera train will launch revenue services on August 28th along the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston.
“In just a few weeks, history will be made with the Nextgen Acela debut as we launch new standards for American train travel,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement.
Five of the new train sets will be part of the first launch, with a total of 28 expected to be in service by 2027.
Amtrak says new trains will allow 27% of seats per departure. The seats feature individual power outlets, read lights and winged headrests for comfort and privacy. The train is equipped with free high-speed 5G compatible Wi-Fi.
The new train can reach maximum speeds of 160 mph, 10 mph and 10 mph more than the current Acela model. The tilt system provides a smooth, quiet ride for new trains, says Amtrak.
“This is a fundamentally superior experience that Americans have ever been able to travel in this country,” Amtrak Executive Vice President Laura Mason said in a video introducing the new train.
The NextGen Acela’s maximum speed is much slower than the world’s fastest trains in Asia and Europe, some of which can travel at over 200 mph.
Amtrak first introduced Acela products in 2000. The next train was expected to enter service in 2022, but it has experienced numerous hurdles that delayed its implementation.
Amtrak said it will provide more information as the launch approaches how passengers can find and select NextGen Acela Trains. Both the current and NextGen models will be running in the coming months.
