Passenger Trains > First Look at the new Acela Express trainsets!

Source:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2018/08/08/heres-first-look-amtraks-new-acela-express-trains/938417002/
Amtrak =14pxwill introduce a new Acela Express fleet on its popular Northeast Corridor in 2021

The new trains, which Amtrak gave a first look at on Wednesday, will provide a smoother and more comfortable ride.The interiors will have more spacious leather seats with lighting, electrical outlets and USB ports. Each seat will have dual tray tables with a large and small option.Seatbacks will have handles to help travelers walk through the train.Each train car will have six LED screens to provide real time information such as location, train speed and conductor announcements.Amtrak revamps its food and beverage menu Other amenities will include Wi-Fi and an advanced seat reservation system. Overhead luggage compartments will be streamlined. Bathrooms will be large and ADA-compliant 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,” Caroline Decker, vice president of the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Service Line, said in a written statement.The new trainsets will accommodate 386 passengers, an increase of about 30 percent.Amtrak got the feedback of customers to design the new trains.Amtrak installs nursing rooms after petitions The prototype of the new trainsets, which is in production at Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Hornell, New York, will be ready in 2019.Amtrak will begin rolling out the completed trains in 2021, with all the trains in service by the end of 2022. In the meantime, Amtrak is investing $4 million in a refresh of interiors of the Acela Express trains currently in service


 

Nice to know that Amtrak is upgrading/replacing rolling stock tha is less than 20 years old while many Amfleet and Superliner cars are approaching  their 40th birthday.

EIther the original Acela cars were a bust or Amtrak is not investing wisely or nboth

Nice to know that Amtrak is upgrading/replacing rolling stock that is less than 20 years old while many Amfleet and Superliner cars are approaching  their 40th birthday.

Either the original Acela cars were a bust or Amtrak is not investing wisely or both

Please folks, I'm not trying to get a rant started here; however, whether or not most of you who love passenger trains care or don't care, the Acelas bring in a lot of business for Amtrak on the busy Northeast Corridor.  These trains charge premium fares and yet they run fairly full especially in the mornings and late afternoons.
Yes I do agree that it would be nice to see Amtrak purchasing more new equipment or completely rebuild the existing equipment for all of their passenger trains, and yes I would dearly love to see more trains on more routes with additional service on many existing routes.  But right now unless all of us keep badgering our elected representatives in Washington, D.C., it will not happen.  Please ride the trains where you can folks and please let your elected senators and house reps know how much these trains mean to you.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

WP17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice to know that Amtrak is upgrading/replacing
> rolling stock that is less than 20 years old while
> many Amfleet and Superliner cars are approaching 
> their 40th birthday.
>
> Either the original Acela cars were a bust or
> Amtrak is not investing wisely or both

Neither - The Acelas proved to be such a huge success and moneymaker, they are doubling (not replacing) the fleet.  I would imagine the old trainsets will be relgated to clocker service or increased regional service.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/18 13:12 by Raja.

Two problems with the original trainsets: As great as they are, they are high-maintenance units, and they do not have the capacity for the ridership they are attracting.  Amtrak thought about buying additional car "inserts", but decided (wisely) to go with all new and solve both problems at once.No decision has been made as yet for thier future.  I suggested to an official that the Keystone Corridor would be an ideal venue for them, but he reminded me that not all of the stations have high-level platforms (yet), and therefore can't handle them.

Hopefully the width matches what was should've been on the original sets back in 2000 and run a full 150 instead of that one segment through Rhode Island!

Hard to justify any new long distance equipment when much that was previously ordered is sitting in storage rotting away with no useful life in sight if current dining policy continues. By comparison, how old the first and second generation ICE sets in daily use in Germany?

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Hard to justify any new long distance equipment
> when much that was previously ordered is sitting
> in storage rotting away with no useful life in
> sight if current dining policy continues.
======================

...An Anderson self-fulfilling prophecy if there ever were one.

Posted from Android

I goggled it -- there are 293 ICE train sets in service.  This service started in 1985.

It didn't say how old each set is - or if any original sets are still in service.

sorry, that's all I could find on the German ICE train.
 

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I goggled it -- there are 293 ICE train sets in
> service.  This service started in 1985.
>
> It didn't say how old each set is - or if any
> original sets are still in service.

There are 60 ICE 1 trainsets, and 59 are in service. They were all refurbished about 10 years ago after an initial ~15 years of service.

Ray



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/18 16:22 by Ray_Murphy.

I can see it coming NOW.  Amtrak will claim that the Acelas are old, outdated, "no parts available", unreliable, etc. and then PARK them to die in some rail yard.   

We have all heard this tune many times before with the heritage equipment and New York/French turbos.    But as noted, ICE trains, 33 years old are running fine.  And VIA's heritage equipment keeps going.  

That's because those countries don't have the type of Bull Pizzle government we have. They have issues, but most are not  rail related.

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can see it coming NOW.  Amtrak will claim that
> the Acelas are old, outdated, "no parts
> available", unreliable, etc. and then PARK them to
> die in some rail yard.   
>
> We have all heard this tune many times before with
> the heritage equipment and New York/French turbos.
>    But as noted, ICE trains, 33 years old are
> running fine.  And VIA's heritage equipment keeps
> going.  

Yup. The 150mph operation in RI, MA; incredibly specific "Amtrak only" construction, and indirectly related build 'quality', all pound these tihngs into rapid aging. Not unlike the early TGVs (those aren't running any longer).
The original Metroliner cars didn't do well at 125, but lasted a bit longer at 80.

PRR1361 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Two problems with the original trainsets: As great
> as they are, they are high-maintenance units, and
> they do not have the capacity for the ridership
> they are attracting.  Amtrak thought about buying
> additional car "inserts", but decided (wisely) to
> go with all new and solve both problems at once.No
> decision has been made as yet for thier future. 
> I suggested to an official that the Keystone
> Corridor would be an ideal venue for them, but he
> reminded me that not all of the stations have
> high-level platforms (yet), and therefore can't
> handle them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/18 20:25 by tmurray.

Raja Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WP17 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nice to know that Amtrak is upgrading/replacing
> > rolling stock that is less than 20 years old
> while
> > many Amfleet and Superliner cars are
> approaching 
> > their 40th birthday.
> >
> > Either the original Acela cars were a bust or
> > Amtrak is not investing wisely or both
>
> Neither - The Acelas proved to be such a huge
> success and moneymaker, they are doubling (not
> replacing) the fleet.  I would imagine the old
> trainsets will be relgated to clocker service or
> increased regional service.

The old sets are being retired.

https://nec.amtrak.com/project/next-generation-high-speed-trains/
 

Speeds up to 160 mph I imagine in very limited stretches  -notably Rhoad Island and soon(er later) between
New Brunswick, NJ and Hamilton.  Boost to 186 mph but the sets would likely have to remain in service
until 2050 to see track upgrades (joking, but not really).

Insane to hear they will be retiring the rather young Acela sets!  20 years... Wowl

Seems the Keystone route wouild be ideal - it's not as if it'll be stopping at every station - imagine most stations
along that route have high level platforms and those that do not could by 2022.  Must be nice to have a cash
surplus.

Wonder - crazy, again if retired.... but what museum and how many will be preserved?  Or maybe SEPTA will
get 'em!  Lol - wouldn't that be wild - SEPTA liveried Acela Expresses.

/Mitch

The Keystones only need 8 trainsets.  There are 20 Acelas.  Even if you also put them on shorter NYC-DC regionals, you'd only use another 3 or 4 trainsets.

Both routes have the low level station problem (Ardmore, Exton, Downingtown, Coatesville, Parkesburg, Middletown on Keystone, Cornwells Heights, Newark, Aberdenn on Regionals).  Acela's don't have traps.

New maintenance facilities would be needed in Harrisburg and Philly to retain some of the Acelas.

These aren't insupperable problems, but they aren't easily and quickly solved either.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Both routes have the low level station problem
> (Ardmore, Exton, Downingtown, Coatesville,
> Parkesburg, Middletown on Keystone, Cornwells
> Heights, Newark, Aberdenn on Regionals).  Acela's
> don't have traps.

Ardmore, I hear, is next up for a new station with high
level platforms once Paoli is finished.  Exton, like
Paoli station rebuilding is moving along quickly.

Coatsville has a new station on the drawing board,
though it's been there since 2013 or so.

Cornwells Heights is high level - and some Keystones
do stop there. Newark, DE is also in the midsts of
getting a new station with construction ongoing.

And, as a premier "express" Keystone - not all stations
would require stopping.


> New maintenance facilities would be needed in
> Harrisburg and Philly to retain some of the
> Acelas.

Where are they now?  NYC? and?  I seem to recall
hearing that the Acela's once were serviced in Frazier,
PA - never saw any pictures.  What was the story there?
Currently, that is where SEPTA trains are stored - and?
serviced?

> These aren't insupperable problems, but they
> aren't easily and quickly solved either.

Yup.

/Mitch

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> abyler Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

> Cornwells Heights is high level - and some Keystones do stop there. 

Cornwells Heights only has a tiny high level platform just intended for folks that use a wheel chair at the head end of the train.  If you look at the Google Earth satellite view it's the separate section on the West end of the station near the signal bridge for westbound trains.  There is a similar tiny platform for east bound trains just before the Station Avenue bridge..

The few Amtrak trains that stop there only open limited doors and use their traps.

Brian

Converting Acela coaches to conventional RR cars would be prohibitively expensive, as would building new, custom shops in Philly to maintain them as they are. 
I think they will simply wind up like the SNCF and Rohr Turboliners.