Amtrak’s new and long-awaited Acela debuts in Northeast Corridor

After years of delays, the day finally arrived: America’s fastest train is ready for its debut.

That’s Amtrak’s all-new next-generation Acela, which can (in theory) travel at 160 mph. The trains will be the midstream station on the track between Boston and Washington, D.C., for the first time in 2020, but they have been sitting at Railyard for five years since then, waiting for testing and final certification.

Finally, wait for the game to end. The decade-long next-generation ACELA program will reach its biggest milestone on Thursday, when the first in the new trains enters tax services along the Amtrak Northeast Corridor.

Now, with the delay in the rearview mirror, it’s time to actually test Amtrak’s most modern product.

The opportunity came on Wednesday, August 27, when Amtrak invited executives, key partners (including Transport Secretary Sean Duffy) and chose the first cycling media from DC to Boston.

I joined the train at the Moynihan Train Hall in New York and took a trip to the Northeast Corridor for about four hours by multiple cars.

Here’s what you need to know about new trains.

A first-class coach

Excitement starts with top-notch cars, right in front of the train of Car 1.

To determine if you are traveling on the new Acela train, check out Painting – It has a modern and colorful version of Acela’s old brand.

This will be a methodical launch.

From the outset, Amtrak will launch five of 28 new Alstom-made trains.

Amtrak said it will be on stage on the updated train by 2027 as it completes the retirement of the traditional Acela train.

At launch, the following services will adopt a new train:

• Working days: trains 2153, 2154, 2170 and 2173
• Saturday: Trains 2250 and 2251
• Sunday: Trains 2248, 2258, 2259 and 2271

When booking a train on Amtrak’s website or mobile app, look for the “NextGen” tag next to the route. You can see on the website that it lists the tags under Premium Booking

This tag represents the services operated by the new Acela.

Back on the train, you will get on the footstep level with the Alstom logo, just like Bombardier’s C-series jets, used to adopt this brand when you step onto the boat. (Airbus stopped this when it took over the C Series project.)

The first-class cars are arranged in a 1-2 configuration, with single seats on the side of the car’s port and dual seats on the starboard side.

Unlike the existing ACELA, this has only a single seat with a set of shared tables. (The existing ACELA has four sets of seats in this configuration.)

Similarly, there is only one table on the other side of the cabin, while there are four tables in the existing layout.

Business travelers who want to host a POWWOW on board won’t be happy with this layout, but when traveling in a solo, no one else wants to end up being excited on a four-top table.

The cabin itself is more modern than the existing ACELA. I love the orange pop music and HD TV screen on the seat headrests that showcase the radio and journey information.

Each seat has a small level that can be lifted or lowered, as well as a tray table that is 10-inch and 17-inch wide – probably not enough to comfortably mount a 15-inch (or larger) laptop.

The good news is that the desk can be expanded as needed to create a more ergonomic workstation.

The top cabin has been replaced by exposed luggage storage and larger bags can be placed in front and behind each car in the luggage tower.

Speaking of the vestibule between cars, you can find the toilet here. Here is an interesting setup: the automatic door is shaped like a semicircle and rotates when the button is pressed.

You need to press a button to close the door and then press the lock button to mark the toilet as an occupied toilet.

Inside, all the controls are touchless – a nice hygiene upgrade – but it still took me a while to get used to the new bathroom entrance and exit process.

Business grade car

All the rest of the cars except one car are dedicated to business-grade seating.

Here, the seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, which is standard in Amtrak’s business-grade configuration.

Seats alternate between the forward and rear, with four tables in the center of each car, suitable for travelers who want to catch up with colleagues or friends.

Like the existing ACELA, all seats are allocated. It seems that Amtrak may be preparing the first digital seat placards that may show your reservation and travel information because there is a letter above the seat.

The seats themselves all have a pitch of 39 inches, which is 3 inches less than first class.

The seats are absolutely firm in terms of comfort, although I think that will change as the cushion breaks over the next few months.

Interestingly, the seat’s back is not actually tilted and the center armrest is not moved. (Only lift or lower the aisle handrail.)

When you press the bevel button, the mat at the bottom slides forward, and I think this is the existing setting on the older Acelas makes the relaxing comfort less comfortable.

If you are sitting at a table, be aware: if the seat cushion slides too far forward, your knees may hit the table.

The facilities for seating in business class are basically the same as those for the first seating.

This includes two AC power outlets and two USB-A ports between each seat. Sadly, these trains were produced before USB-C became mainstream.

Each headrest also has a built-in reading light.

Amtrak has greatly upgraded Wi-Fi on the new Acela train. Now, the internet is powered by 5G cellular towers along the way, which is good news when mobile reception is received. In fact, in my tests, I often measure download speeds greater than 100 Mbps and upload speeds up to 30 Mbps.

However, there are some cellular receptions in the Northeast Corridor, and your internet experience will be affected in these areas. (That’s a satellite option like Starlink would be more reliable.)

cafes

The final large upgrade of the new train is the cafe, known as the “Cafe Asira”.

For the first time ever there is a grab refrigerator, where you can quickly grab snacks and drink options and check out on your built-in tablet.

This will undoubtedly help shorten the anti-service line during peak hours trains.

You can still buy popular items through the counter and even attend a shopping cart service in business class. (First class offers order-based meals with dedicated waiters.)

The cafe car also has some bar-style standing areas backwards. There are no stools or seats here, so it is definitely designed for short-term visits, or a quick call.

Bottom line

Amtrak’s next-generation Acela train is a major upgrade to Northeast Railway experience.

Modern styles such as new LED reading lights, updated color schemes and faster Wi-Fi should make this an excellent way to travel between some of the country’s largest cities.

While the “hard products” (the train itself and its seat configuration) look like something you find in Europe, unfortunately these trains don’t necessarily bring the much-needed infrastructure improvements Amtrak needs in the Northeast Corridor.

If there is any comfort, at least the new train should help alleviate some of the equipment-related cancellations that plague the existing Acela fleet.

But despite advertising speeds up to 160 mph, the conductor doesn’t pedal on the metal, rather than traveling for a short trip. (The track improvement that can improve speeds and improve reliability is part of other projects ongoing by AMTRAK and regional entities.)

But Amtrak has to start somewhere, and even if it doesn’t run the entire journey at maximum speed, the next generation of Acela fleet and its associated improvements are still worth celebrating.

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