Amtrak's new Acela trains are entering passenger service on Thursday, and I had a chance to join a preview for journalists on Wednesday, ahead of their first regular run. On the trip from New York to New Haven, Connecticut, I noticed that the new trains feel more like what travelers might see abroad than what passengers are accustomed to on American railroads.
These NextGen Acelas feature updated seating, a higher top speed, and some thoughtful amenities, such as reading lights and power at every seat (not just every row), which represent an improvement over the previous generation. The current generation is about to hit 25 years in service on the railroad.
"What's exciting about these is they're a bit faster, 160 miles an hour top end," Amtrak President Roger Harris told me right after we exited the tunnel from Penn Station in New York. "But if you look around, you'll see a really contemporary, clean, comfortable, spacious interior."
The trains are designed to travel faster than 160 miles per hour, but track restrictions along the route limit their top speed.
Here's what passengers can expect as the new trainsets begin to operate along the Northeast Corridor.
