PUEBLO, Colo. — Amtrak’s next-generation Acela has achieved a testing milestone, reaching speeds up to 165 mph in testing at the Association of American Railroads’ Transportation Technology Center Inc. near Pueblo. That is faster than the equipment’s planned top operating speed of 160 mph. Amtrak has posted video of the train in operation courtesy of TTC.
The new Acela prototype left Alstom’s Hornell, N.Y., plant on Feb. 17 and is expected to continue testing for six more months before returning to Alstom for installation of its interiors. More information on the new Acela is available here. Alstom is building 28 of the new Acela trainsets, with the first projected to enter service in 2021.
The #NewAcela fleet is feeling the need for speed out in Pueblo, CO. Check out the new train, set to enter service on the NEC in 2021, in action as it tests @TTCI_Rail_RandD with speeds up to 165 mph. pic.twitter.com/hvrHsltYCG
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) May 22, 2020
With my Dutch, European perspective I only can say build dedicated high speed lines. In the densily populated North East trains doing 200 mph would be a huge succes.
Paul Cutler- In response to your question, No I haven’t rode on the Acela Express but I have seen it in action numerous times while riding Amtrak in the Northeast and on my trips to Florida. I even have the N scale model on my model railroad. Your post is very informative and goes into detail on the speed question. A number of years ago, one of the TV networks I don’t remember dida series called Extreme Trains and one of the programs covered the current AcelaExpress and it included the operation, servicing and engineering of this train and also included a cab ride up front with the engineer and it gave the experience and thrill of operating these trains from the engineer’s cab. The current Acela Express and it’s heirs are carrying the torch and blazing the trail or should I say track for the future of passenger rail travel in America and in order to get the public back to riding trains again these trains are the ones to do it as well as future generations of comfortable, safe and efficient hi-speed passenger trains.
“Media could not be played” is all I get when trying to see Acela story. There always seems to be a glitch with your video postings.
Mr Cutler, the Acela Express appealed, not to luxury motivated riders, but to time sensitive ones. Door to door between major cities on the NEC on pre-Acela Metroliners, just barely compared to the air shuttles. Acela, of course, broke that speed barrier significantly with the addition of “luxury” accommodations. Subsequently, it became the “go to” transportation mode for business travelers on the NEC and took market share away from the airlines.
Has either Alstom or Amtrak explained why the profile of the power cars is different from the “coaches”? Seems like a design mistake to me, at least visually. Will they “bump out” the power car sides in production?
Joseph Markfelder, I believe the new Acela sets will be going 160 mph south of NYC. To qualify for that speed, the Feds require that trains must safely operate at 5 mph faster, thus the 165 mph test. As for the current Acela sets operating at 150 mph, they do this every day between Foxboro and South Attleboro in Massachusetts, and through the Kingston flats in Rhode Island west of Providence. I’ve ridden the Acela several times and I’ve timed the mileposts; we did 150 mph. ———— Richard Shivik, Speed isn’t the only draw for the Acela. The Acelas have bigger windows, better seats, better services, ride better and smoother, are much quieter, have no slack action, have better bathrooms, better amenities, and so on. Have you ever ridden the Acela?
While this is a great accomplishment here in the United States, this pales in comparison to what Europe and Asia have already done and are doing even now as we speak with regards to high speed trains. 165 mph is already routine and common to trains in Germany, France, Japan and China. The United States has miles and light years to go before we can be on an equal footing with the rest of the world in high speed train travel. I might add that while the new Acela Express trainsets are capable of 165mph, they wont be operated at that speed due to track conditions and restrictions that must addressed and taken care of first. The current fleet is capable of 150 mph but never or very rarely is operated at that speed. Much has to be done before these trainsets can really flex their muscles or speed
I would like to see some more information about this test track – where is it located, how long is it, whether it is viewable by the public, etc. Perhaps Trains has already covered this. If so, where and when?
I notice it is running with only one pantograph up. The Acela uses both.
Galen Riley, So please explain why there was record ridership on the NEC with the Acela sets running and not when it was just the Amfleet sets for the 20+ years before the Acela? And yes, the Acela serves the high end market for business travelers. With no business travelers, it made no sense to run them.
When I just told a friend that the new Acela reached 165 MPH on test track, he replied the PRR did that with the Metro liner in 1969 when he worked on the high speed program as part of his Drexel College program. What does that tell you?
I wonder if it will exceed specs when the interiors are added.
MATTHEW – Or you could be the train driver at 165 mph in a 1960’s Metroliner with no front bumper. When some of these were handed down to serve as cab cars for the push-pull midwestern corridor trains (79 mph plus or minus) the union told Amtrak to get rid of them.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have wanted to ride a metroliner at such speeds on deteriorating 70s track. Plus, metroliner a themselves kinda sucked. The ride would probably be neither comfortable nor safe.
I went directly to Twitter and successfully viewed the video. It is incredible seeing a high speed train running on an oval track in 1:1 scale. The Northeast Corridor will not be child’s play for this train set and her twenty-seven sisters.
I press the arrow for the video and get this message, ‘The media could not be played.’
ZOOM!!
Next Generation money pit like the original one, the first one to fall when hard times hit while the regionals & LD soldier on to service those who need essential service not luxury travelers.
The NEC doesn’t make money when ROW costs are included. LD ROW costs (payments to freight RRs are considered and operating expense.
Robert McGuire, without LD trains, there’s no federal support. Without federal support, there’s no NEC. Why this need to focus on Amtrak profitability? No one says that about other modes of transportation.
ROBERT – Good post as always. For those outside of the Atlantic seaboard fond of pointing out how much money NEC loses, let’s remember Amtrak and the local commuter authorities cross subsidize each other. Without MBTA, Metro North, Shore Line East and so on down the line, there’s no Amtrak, and without Amtrak there’s no commuter trains.
It is time that Amtrak expanded Acela service. Prior to the pandemic some of these trains were standing room only with passengers with NE Regional train and commuter train tickets trying to get a quicker (and cheaper) ride sneaking on board and hoping to be able to stay forcing passengers with seat reservations to stand. The Acela is one of Amtrak’s few success stories (Auto Train is another). It is time to concentrate on what brings in the money and kill off the LD dogs.
And Nashville has been without Amtrak service for 41 years…………