The new Acela trainset interiors will feature spacious and smooth leather seats, with integrated in-seat lighting and personal electrical outlets and USB ports. Each seat will be equipped with dual tray tables providing customers with a large and small table option.
To assist customers as they move throughout the train, handles have been integrated into the seatbacks. Customers will also experience a high-tech onboard information system, with six LED screens in each train car that provide real time information such as location, train speed, and conductor announcements.
Other enhancements include Wi-Fi, an advanced seat reservation system that easily distinguishes seat availability, streamlined overhead luggage and spacious Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms with a 60-inch diameter turning radius.
“The next generation of Acela trains will set a new standard for rail service in the U.S., providing our customers with a superior travel experience,” said Vice President of Amtrak Northeast Corridor Service Line Caroline Decker.
The new trainsets will accommodate 386 passengers, an increase of nearly 30 percent, while preserving the spacious, high-end comfort of the current Acela Express service that customers enjoy today. The seats were designed based on feedback from Amtrak customers.
The prototype of the new trainsets, in production at Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Hornell, N.Y., will be ready in 2019, with the first train entering service in 2021. All the trainsets are expected to be in service by the end of 2022.
In advance of the arrival of the new trainsets and to ensure the ongoing comfort of our customers, Amtrak has invested more than $4 million in an extensive refresh of the current Acela Express train interiors.
I, for one, will enjoy the larger windows, our American trains use to have, back in the streamliner days. What’s to see? A slice of America, some New Yorkers seem to have lost interest in!!! Those handles will help in walking the train with all the rough track in the north east corridor.
The medium and long distance trains only appear maxed out. Capacity on the trains has been cut rather than expanded, and essentially every single medium and long distance train I’ve ridden in the last decade or more has been sold out for large portions of the journey. Capacity needs to be expanded until it meets the demand the demand is obviously high.
I also believe Amtrak is a gauge on the overall health of the U.S. economy of the present and what’s around the corner. And right now its not looking too good.
Robert McGuire
Amtrak was established to be a national passenger railroad. I believe the correct name is National Passenger Railroad Corporation. How is it, then, that “Amtrak has its priorities in the right place” in regard to spending most of it’s capital resources on corridors rather than long distance trains?
During my recent trip on the Texas Eagle from Austin to Fort Worth, the train was sold out. The coach interiors had long term built up dirt on the carpeted walls and ceilings. The vinyl tile steps were grimy. The stainless steel cabinet next to the steps was full of dents and scratches. The upholstery was threadbare. The overall ambiance was dingy. But not to worry, Amtrak has $4 million lying around to refurbish the interiors of Acela cars that will be phased out beginning three years from now. Sure, Robert, that makes sense.
I think if Amtrak goes back to the old national timetable of 1978 they would be doing better then all this overpriced high speed crap. Besides I don’t see any thing special to look out the window for between D.C. to N.Y. But I know that would not happen, its seems difficult to find many govt. people high up that are honest.
Does Amtrak have anything to do with Acela anyway I thought they went there separate ways?
At least it is nice to see that Amtrak has its priorities in the right place. The markets are the corridors not the long distance trains. Their patronage is maxed out in my opinion.
Follow up to my previous comment:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/19/rotating-train-seats-japan_n_5591662.html
Always glad to have my customer experience redefined. I think that’s what my grandfather said over a century ago when PRR introduced the P54 and the P70.
Nice. And all the while Nashville has not seen the interior of an Amtrak train in 39 years. It would be nice to see upgrades to the national system occasionally.
I am really upset that we now are supposed to accept riding backwards at 160 mph! Why can’t we be as clever as the Japanese in this matter? I just hate this fixed seat mentality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX5D6YtI7tg
All this “ballyhoo” about new Acelas and not a “peep” about twice as old/poor condition, long distance Superliner cars. I guess it is pretty apparent where Amtrak priorities are.
James Shoemaker-
I know its unrelated to this article, but with regard to your post, given the problems that Nippon Sharyo has had in developing their double deck cars for the CA and IL corridors, that has resulted in at least CA ordering single level Brightline equipment from Siemens. So, based on your request, is it possible that if this were necessary to happen on the LD routes, could we get a return of the vistadome?
And now lets see an artist rendering of long distance equipment 2021
Arthur Hazeldine
The new trainsets have more cars in them than the existing Acela’s, that’s how you get a 30% increase in passenger capacity.
How nice , but leave the same old junk on the long distance trains .
I’m sure this is more important than “Toys for Tots”.
I would like to know how you increase seating capacity 30% within the same physical confines with no degradation of comfort or loss of personal space. This sounds more like marketing fluff than fact and analogous to the “contemporary dining experience” replacement of dining car meals.