Amtrak passengers will finally get to ride the new $2.4 billion Acela trains capable of hitting 180 mph this spring on the Northeast Corridor in New Jersey if they pass final tests.
“Our NextGen Acela trains are getting closer,” said Jason Abrams, an Amtrak spokesperson who confirmed the spring rollout date.
Manufacturer Alstom and Amtrak have completed qualification testing and will submit the results to the Federal Railroad Administration soon, Abrams said
“Next, the trains will enter pre-revenue testing, setting the stage for us to serve our customers in Spring 2025, when these trains will become the fastest in operation in the United States,” he said.
For the past two years, passengers could catch a glimpse of the new $2.3 billion Acela train sets parked in a train yard in view of commuters waiting on platforms at Philadelphia’s 30th Street station, also used by SEPTA and NJ Transit Atlantic City line riders.
In January, one of 28 new Acela train sets was videoed speeding through Princeton Junction in Mercer County on a section of the Northeast Corridor line dubbed the “raceway” where the trains can hit a top speed of 150 mph.
The new trains are capable of traveling at speeds over 180mph.
Amtrak officials said at that time the railroad and Alstom were conducting high-speed testing of the new Acela fleet on the Northeast Corridor, allowing Alstom to begin the next step in the safety certification process.
An Amtrak Inspector General’s office report in September found two issues it said were likely to delay a 2024 rollout of the new trains.
“The Federal Railroad Administration has closely monitored the progress being made to complete qualification testing and analysis necessary to operate new Acelas on the Northeast Corridor,” said Dan Griffin, an administration spokesperson. “We are aware that Amtrak plans to officially submit their results to FRA in the near future—a major step toward seeing modern, safe, and efficient Acela cars on America’s busiest rail corridor.”
The process has included more than 900 test runs and 90,000 miles of testing on the Northeast Corridor, Abrams said.
The new 11-car train sets will include nine passenger cars, seating for 380 people and more leg room than the current trains and most airliners provide, even in first class.
The new trains sets have a 70% increase in passenger capacity than the 20 Acela train sets running now.
Amtrak has been planning for the Acela replacements since 2014. Trains in the existing Acela fleet range between 22 and 25 years old.
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