Amtrak launches NextGen Acela high-speed rail service

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As many as 28 trains are scheduled to enter service through 2027.

Amtrak launches NextGen Acela high-speed rail service

Amtrak launches NextGen Acela high-speed rail service

Amtrak’s NextGen Acela high-speed rail service undertook its inaugural run from Washington to New York City on Wednesday morning. Photo courtesy of Amtrak

Rail passengers in the nation’s Northeast Corridor can travel aboard Amtrak’s NextGen Acela high-speed rail service that launched on Wednesday morning.

The new rail service began operating at 5 a.m. EDT in Washington and 6 a.m. in Boston while using new premium high-speed trains that were built in the United States.

“Acela is synonymous with American high-speed trains, and today marks a new era of next-generation service,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a news release. “The future of high-speed rail starts now.”

Its inaugural run carried passengers from Washington to New York City’s Penn Station, and up to 28 trains are scheduled to enter service through 2027.

The high-speed trains are the first of their kind to be built in the United States and can travel as fast as 160 mph, ABC News reported.

Each train was built in Hornell, N.Y., by the Alstom Co. and using components from 180 suppliers located in 29 states.

The trains created an estimated 15,000 U.S. jobs, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

They provide passengers with free high-speed Wi-Fi, power outlets and reading lights and include a dining cafe for all passengers and an optional cart service for those in business class.

Each train holds 27% more passengers than their predecessors, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said will make rail travel more affordable.

“Amtrak will provide more reliable service and lower prices for the American people — all while increasing the organization’s profitability,” Duffy said.

The NextGen Acela trains are part of Amtrak’s fleet modernization plan that includes new Airo trains for Amtrak’s Cascades, Northeast Regional and East Coast routes.

Amtrak officials also plan to improve its cross-county routes with more efficient long-distance locomotives and improved interiors in coaches, dining cars, sleepers and sightseer lounges.

The NextGen Acela train began service at the same time the Trump administration seeks to improve safety and efficiency at Union Station in Washington and possibly other train stations.

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