Acela Express - Wikipedia Acela Express Acela Express Amtrak Acela Express train, led by power car # 2009, at Old Saybrook, Connecticut Overview Service type Inter-city, high speed tilting train Status Operating Locale Northeast United States Predecessor Metroliner First service December 11, 2000 ( 2000 - 12 - 11 ) Current operator ( s ) Amtrak Ridership 3,489,311 ( FY2016 ) Route Start South Station, Boston Stops 16 End Union Station, Washington, D.C. Distance travelled 457 mi ( 735 km ) Average journey time 6 hours, 38 minutes - 6 hours, 50 minutes Service frequency 20 per day Train number ( s ) 2100 -- 2297 On - board services Class ( es ) Business and first class Disabled access Fully accessible Seating arrangements Reclining leather seats ( 4 across in Business Class, 3 across in First Class ) Catering facilities On - board café ; at - seat meals in first class Baggage facilities Overhead bins and racks ; no checked luggage Technical Track gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄ in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge Operating speed 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) maximum 84 mph ( 135 km / h ) average 72 mph ( 116 km / h ) average including stops Route map Legend Dist. Station 0 mi 0 km Boston South Station 1 mi 2 km Boston Back Bay 11 mi 18 km Route 128 MA RI 43 mi 69 km Providence RI CT 105 mi 169 km New London Ferry to Long Island 156 mi 251 km New Haven 195 mi 314 km Stamford CT NY across Byram River East River Tunnels 231 mi 372 km New York Penn Station NY NJ North River Tunnels 241 mi 388 km Newark Penn Station 255 mi 410 km Metropark 289 mi 465 km Trenton NJ PA across Delaware River 322 mi 518 km Philadelphia 30th St. Station PA DE 347 mi 558 km Wilmington DE MD 416 mi 669 km Baltimore Penn Station 427 mi 687 km BWI Marshall Airport MD DC 457 mi 735 km Washington Union Station Northeast Regional to Virginia This diagram : view talk edit The Acela Express ( / əˈsɛlə / ə - SEL - ə ; colloquially abbreviated to Acela ) is Amtrak 's flagship service along the Northeast Corridor ( NEC ) in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 14 intermediate stops including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The route contains segments of high - speed rail, and Acela Express trains are the fastest trainsets in the Americas ; they attain 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) on 28 miles ( 45 km ) of the route. Acela carried more than 3.4 million passengers in fiscal year 2016 ; second only to the slower and less expensive Northeast Regional, which had over 8 million passengers in FY 2016. Its 2016 revenue of $ 585 million was 25 % of Amtrak 's total. Acela operates along routes that are used by freight and slower regional passenger traffic, and only reaches the maximum allowed speed of the tracks along some sections, with the fastest peak speed along segments between Mansfield, Massachusetts and Richmond, Rhode Island. Acela trains use tilting technology, which helps control lateral centripetal forces, allowing the train to travel at higher speeds on the sharply curved NEC without disturbing passengers. The high - speed operation occurs mostly along the 226 - mile ( 364 km ) route from New York 's Penn Station to Washington DC 's Union Station, with a fastest scheduled time of 2 hours and 45 minutes and an average speed of 82 mph ( 132 km / h ), including time spent at intermediate stops. Over this route, Acela and the Northeast Regional service captured a 75 % share of air / train commuters between New York and Washington in 2011, up from 37 % in 2000. Due to this competition, one airline canceled service between Washington and New York. The Acela 's speed is limited by traffic and infrastructure on the route 's northern half. On the 231 - mile ( 372 km ) section from Boston 's South Station to New York 's Penn Station, the fastest scheduled time is 3 hours and 30 minutes, or an average speed of 63 miles per hour ( 101 km / h ). Along this section, Acela has still captured a 54 % share of the combined train and air market. The entire 457 - mile ( 735 km ) route from Boston to Washington takes between 6 hours, 38 minutes and 6 hours, 50 minutes, at an average of around 68 miles per hour ( 109 km / h ). The present Acela Express equipment will be replaced by new Avelia Liberty trainsets beginning in 2021. Amtrak will retire all current trains by the end of 2022. Contents 1 History 1.1 Background 1.2 Building and development 1.3 Cost 1.4 Speed limits 1.5 Branding 2 Engineering 2.1 First - generation train design 2.2 Operating speeds 2.3 High speed infrastructure 2.3. 1 Platform track speeds 2.4 Outages 3 Service 3.1 Composition 3.2 Staffing and operation 3.3 Wi - Fi service 4 Notable incidents 5 Station stops 6 Future Acela trains 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links History Background The X2000 during testing by Amtrak Following the success of Japan 's newly inaugurated Shinkansen network, the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 authorized the U.S. government to explore the creation of high - speed rail, which resulted in the introduction of Metroliner trains, the predecessor to Acela. During the 1980s the US Federal Railroad Administration explored the possibilities of high - speed rail in the United States. On December 18, 1991, five potential high speed rail corridors were authorized ( `` Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ( ISTEA ) ( PL 102 - 240 ) '' ) including the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak asked railway equipment manufacturers to submit proposals. An X 2000 train was leased from Sweden for test runs from October 1992 to January 1993. It was operated from Washington DC to New York City from February to May and August to September 1993. Siemens showed the ICE 1 train from Germany, organizing the ICE Train North America Tour which started to operate on the Northeast Corridor on July 3, 1993. This testing allowed Amtrak to define a set of specifications that went into a public tender in October 1994. Building and development Northbound Acela on the Northeast Corridor south of Philadelphia, showing superelevation of the tracks. On March 9, 1999, Amtrak unveiled its plan for a high - speed train, the Acela Express. Twenty new trains were to run on the Northeast Corridor. Several changes were made to the corridor to make it suitable for the Acela. The Northend Electrification Project extended existing electrification from New Haven to Boston to complete the overhead power supply along the 454 - mile ( 731 km ) route, and several grade crossings were improved or removed. In October 1994, Amtrak requested bids from train manufacturers for a trainset that could reach 150 miles per hour ( 240 km / h ). A joint project of Bombardier ( 75 % ) and GEC Alsthom ( now Alstom ) ( 25 % ) was selected in March 1996. An inaugural VIP run of the Acela occurred November 17, 2000 followed by the first revenue run on December 11, a few months after the intended date. Then - Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Arlen Specter riding the Acela Express to Philadelphia in February 2009 By 2005, Amtrak 's share of the common - carrier market between New York and Boston had reached 40 %, from 18 % pre-Acela. With the increasing popularity of the faster, modern Acela Express, Metroliner service was phased out in late 2006. To meet the demand, more Acela services were added in September 2005. By August 2008 crowding had become noticeable. By 2011, the Acela fleet had reached half of its designed service life. Amtrak proposed several replacement options, including one as part of its A Vision for High - Speed Rail in the Northeast Corridor. In 2011, Amtrak announced that forty new Acela coaches would be ordered in 2012 to increase capacity on existing trainsets. The existing trains would have received two more coaches, lengthening the trainsets from a 1 - 6 - 1 configuration to 1 - 8 - 1 ( power car - passenger cars - power car ). The longer trainsets would have required the modifications of the Acela maintenance facilities in Boston, New York and Washington. The first of the stretched trainsets was to have entered service in fiscal year 2014. This plan was cancelled in 2012 in favor of replacing, rather than refurbishing, the Acela fleet. In January 2014, Amtrak issued a request for proposals on 28 or more new model Acela trainsets, in a combined order with the California High - Speed Rail Authority. These bids were due May 17, 2014. After discussions with manufacturers, Amtrak and the California High Speed Rail Authority concluded their needs were too disparate for common rolling stock and decided not to pursue the joint option. Cost Amtrak 's original contract with the Bombardier - Alstom consortium was for the delivery of 20 trainsets ( 6 coaches each, with power cars at front and rear ) for $800 million. By 2004, Amtrak had settled contract disputes with the consortium, paying a total of $1.2 billion for the 20 trainsets plus 15 extra high - speed locomotives and the construction of maintenance facilities in Boston, New York, and Washington. Speed limits Acela Express 's fastest schedule between New York and Washington DC was 2 hours and 45 minutes in 2012. $450 million was allotted by President Barack Obama 's administration to replace catenary and upgrade signals between Trenton and New Brunswick, which will allow speeds of 160 mph ( 257 km / h ) over 20 - mile ( 32 km ) runs after 2016. This section of track holds the record for the highest speed by a train in the US, which is 170.8 mph ( 274.9 km / h ), achieved in a test run by the U.S. / Canada - built UAC TurboTrain on December 20, 1967. In practice, the Acela 's speed depends more on local restrictions along its corridor than on its trainset. In addition to speed restrictions through urban areas, the Acela 's corridor includes several speed restrictions below 60 -- 80 mph ( 97 -- 129 km / h ) over older bridges, or through tunnels a century old or more. Altogether, Amtrak has identified 224 bridges along Acela 's route that are beyond their design life. Branding An Acela Regional train at South Station, Boston in 2002 The Acela name was announced on March 9, 1999, as a part of the original announcement of the service itself. Amtrak originally intended for this move to be part of a rebranding of the majority of their Northeast services, forming three levels : Acela Express, Acela Regional, and Acela Commuter. The branding team based the name `` Acela '' on the ideas of acceleration and excellence. There were then three classes of trains on the Northeast Corridor ( and its extension south to Newport News, Virginia ) -- Philadelphia - New York Clockers, the express Metroliners, and the umbrella term NortheastDirect, applied to other trains on the corridor ( in addition to unique names assigned to each departure ). Empire Service trains used the Empire Corridor from New York City to Niagara Falls, and Keystone Service ran along the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. The Acela Regional name was first applied to NortheastDirect trains 130 -- 133 on January 31, 2000. Those trains, 130 and 131 running weekdays only and 132 and 133 running every day, were the first electrified trains to run on the full Northeast Corridor. As more trains were electrified, they too were rebranded. In 2003, due to confusion between the lower - speed Acela Regional trains and the Acela Express, the Acela branding was removed from the NortheastDirect service ( now the Northeast Regional ) and the Acela Commuter had its name changed back to the Clocker for a similar reason and ultimately discontinued on October 28, 2005. Engineering First - generation train design Acela Express ( first - generation ) Business Class interior Manufacturer Bombardier, Alstom Constructed 1998 - 2001 Entered service 2000 Number built 20 trainsets Number in service 20 trainsets Formation 8 cars ( 2 x power car ; 6 x passenger car ) Fleet numbers 2000 - 2039 ( power cars ) Capacity 304 ( 44 First Class ; 260 Business Class ) Operator ( s ) Amtrak Depot ( s ) Ivy City, Washington DC Sunnyside Yard, New York City Southampton Street Yard, Boston Line ( s ) served Northeast Corridor Specifications Car body construction Stainless steel Train length 665 feet 8.75 inches ( 202.91 m ) Car length 69 feet 7 inches ( 21.21 m ) ( Power car ) 87 feet 5 inches ( 26.64 m ) ( passenger car ) Width 10 feet 5 inches ( 3.18 m ) ( Power car ) 10 feet 4 ⁄ inches ( 3.16 m ) ( passenger car ) Height 14 feet 2 inches ( 4.32 m ) ( Power car ; rail to roof ) 13 feet 10 ⁄ inches ( 4.23 m ) ( passenger car ) Floor height 4 feet 3 inches ( 1.30 m ) Doors Single leaf sliding plug doors Intermediate passenger cars : 4 End Passenger Cars : 2 Wheel diameter 40 inches ( 1,000 mm ) ( power car ) 36 inches ( 910 mm ) ( passenger car ) Wheelbase 35 feet 3 inches ( 10.74 m ) ( power car ) 59 feet 6 inches ( 18.14 m ) ( passenger car ) Maximum speed 165 mph ( 266 km / h ) ( design ) 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) ( operational ) Weight 1,246,000 lb ( 565 t ) ( Trainset ) 204,000 lb ( 93 t ) ( power car ) 142,000 lb ( 64 t ) ( end cars ; Business and First ) 139,000 lb ( 63 t ) ( Intermediate business cars ) 137,000 lb ( 62 t ) ( Bistro car ) Axle load 51,000 lb ( 23 t ) ( Power car ) 35,750 lb ( 16.22 t ) ( passenger cars ) Traction system Alstom GTO inverters and 3 - phase asynchronous AC traction motors ( Model 4 - FXA - 4559C ) Power output 1,150 kW ( 1,540 hp ) ( per motor ) 4,600 kW ( 6,200 hp ) ( per power car ) Tractive effort Starting : 49,500 lbf ( 220.2 kN ) ( per power car ) Transmission AC - DC - AC Power supply 2850 V DC ( PWM rectified ) voltage regulated from mains re-inverted to three - phase, frequency and voltage controlled AC waveform. Electric system ( s ) Catenary 25 kV 60 Hz AC, 12 kV 60 Hz AC, 12 kV 25 Hz AC Current collection method Pantograph, 2 per power car UIC classification Bo'Bo ' - 2'2 ' - 2'2 ' - 2'2 ' - 2'2 ' - 2'2 ' - 2'2 ' - Bo'Bo ' Braking system ( s ) Dynamic and regenerative ( power cars ) Electro - pneumatic disk and tread ( trainset ) Safety system ( s ) Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System Track gauge 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 ⁄ in ) standard gauge Notes Specifications : Overhead view of an Acela power car in Boston ; an MBTA Orange Line subway train is also visible in the background. The first - generation Acela trainset is a unique set of vehicles designed specifically to satisfy governmental rolling stock requirements established primarily by the Federal Railroad Administration ( FRA ). This includes the ability to withstand a collision with a freight train at speed without collapsing. Most manufacturers which bid on the Acela were unable to meet the structural requirements, due to increased costs and complications for the manufacture of the trains, and the need for manufacturers to make significant engineering changes to their standard designs. In the end, only three qualified bidders remained : ABB ( Swedish - Swiss manufacturer of the X 2000 train ), Siemens ( manufacturer of the German ICE ), and a consortium of Bombardier ( manufacturer of the LRC trains ) and Alstom ( manufacturer of the French TGV ). The design, using identical 6,200 horsepower ( 4,600 kW ) power cars at each end which operate on a voltage of 11,000 volts AC, and either 25 or 60 Hz frequency, derives several components from the TGV, such as the third - generation TGV 's traction system ( including the four asynchronous AC motors per power car, rectifiers, inverters, and regenerative braking ), the trucks / bogies structure ( a long wheelbase dual transom H frame welded steel with outboard mounted tapered roller bearings ), the brake discs ( although there are only three per axle, versus four on the TGV ), and crash energy management techniques to control structural deformation in the event of an accident. The tilting carriages are based upon Bombardier 's earlier LRC trains used on Via Rail rather than the TGV 's non-tilting articulated trailers. Acela power cars and passenger cars are much heavier than those of the TGV in order to meet the FRA 's crash standards. French and Canadian crews testing the Acela referred to it as `` the fast pig '' due to its weight. The extra weight leads to the Acela 's power - to - weight ratio being about 22.4 hp per tonne, compared to 30.8 hp for a SNCF TGV Reseau trainset. The Tier II crash standards, adopted in 1999, have also resulted in the passenger cars being designed without steps and trapdoors, which means that the trainsets can only serve lines with high - level platforms such as the Northeast Corridor. Acela trains are semi-permanently coupled ( but not articulated as in the TGV ) and are referred to as trainsets. Bombardier later used the Acela carriage design and a diesel / gas turbine variant of the power car for its experimental JetTrain. Operating speeds With a 71 : 23 gear ratio, the Acela is designed with a top speed of 165 mph ( 266 km / h ) and reaches a maximum speed of 150 mph ( 241 km / h ) in regular service on three sections of track totaling 33.9 mi ( 55 km ) in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Acela achieves an average speed ( including stops ) of 81.7 mph ( 131 km / h ) between Washington and New York, and an average speed of 66.9 mph ( 108 km / h ) from Washington to Boston. The average speed from New York to Boston is a slightly faster 69.8 mph ( 112 km / h ). An Acela Express train passes a Metro - North New Haven Line train in southwestern Connecticut Amtrak also upgraded the track along the Connecticut shoreline east of New Haven to allow maximum speeds in excess of 110 mph ( 177 km / h ). West of New York City, the Acela 's top speed is 135 mph ( 217 km / h ). One limiting factor is the overhead catenary support system which was constructed before 1935 and lacks the constant - tension features of the new catenary east of New Haven. The Pennsylvania Railroad ran Metroliner test trains in the late 1960s as fast as 164 mph ( 264 km / h ) and briefly intended to run the Metroliner service at speeds reaching 150 mph ( 241 km / h ). Certification testing for commercial operation at 160 mph ( 257 km / h ) involving test runs at up to 165 mph ( 266 km / h ) began between Trenton and New Brunswick in September 2012. The slowest section of the electrified NEC is the portion owned by Metro - North Railroad and the Connecticut Department of Transportation between New Haven, Connecticut and New Rochelle, New York and is heavily used by commuter trains. Amtrak 's trains here achieve 90 mph ( 145 km / h ) only on a limited 4 - mile ( 6.4 km ) stretch in New York State and rarely exceed 60 mph ( 97 km / h ) at any time eastbound through Connecticut until reaching New Haven. In 1992, ConnDOT began plans to upgrade the catenary system, replace outdated bridges, and straighten certain sections of the New Haven Line to enable the Acela to run slightly faster. As of May 2017 the catenary replacement and bridge work were under way and expected to be completed by mid-2018. Curve straightening was deemed too expensive, and there are no current plans to increase speeds on the New Haven Line. On July 9, 2007, Amtrak introduced a limited - stop round trip, with trains stopping only at Philadelphia between New York and Washington. This shortened the trip between the two cities to 2 hours 35 minutes, making the trip roughly an hour faster than some of the Northeast Regional train services. These trains were an experiment to find ways to expedite travel time on the Acela ; Amtrak has since dropped them. High speed infrastructure The dense population of the northeastern United States makes the Northeast Corridor the most heavily traveled portion of the American passenger rail system. Two - thirds of rail passengers in the United States live in or near New York City, also home to the nation 's busiest passenger rail station, Penn Station. In order to compete with airliners, Amtrak needed to increase the speed of trains in the region. The former Shore Line from New Haven to Boston is burdened by sharp turns and grade crossings, the crossings being of special concern. Tilting enables passengers to ride more comfortably on curved sections of track faster than would otherwise be possible, by leaning into the bend. Acela trainsets tilt above 60 mph ( 97 km / h ) on most of the system, but some segments of track in the Northeast Corridor are too close together for the cars to safely tilt while maintaining FRA minimum space between trains on parallel tracks. Metro - North Railroad restricts tilting on the segment of track north of New York which it owns. The system was originally designed for a 6.8 ° tilt, but the cars were redesigned 4 in ( 10 cm ) wider to accommodate wider seats and aisles that reduced allowable tilt to 4.2 ° to fit within the clearance constraints of the existing tracks. Traveling at higher than 135 mph ( 217 km / h ) also requires constant - tension catenary, which is only implemented on the more modern catenary system north of New York City. South of New York City the trains are restricted to 135 mph ( 217 km / h ). By comparison, Northeast Regional and the now - defunct Metroliner service reached 125 mph ( 201 km / h ). Acela service was originally expected to begin in late 1999 but was delayed. The catenary system could not support the intended speeds between Washington DC and New York City, but the newer system between New York City and Boston allows the higher speeds. Attention was drawn to the decreased 4.2 ° tilt, but this was not the root of the speed problem, as the tracks from New York to Boston are similar to those between New York and Washington, and the tilt mechanism is not the factor enabling higher speeds. Following repairs, the first Acela service began on December 11, 2000, a year behind schedule. With the completion of electrification between New Haven and Boston, all trains on the line have become faster partly because of the removal of a 10 ‐ minute delay in New Haven while swapping diesel and electric locomotives, partly from a faster acceleration away from station stops enabled by electric locomotives, and partly because of the faster speed achieved on some sections of track. Acela travels between Boston and New York in about three and a half hours ( an improvement of half an hour ) ; New York to Washington runs take two hours and forty - five minutes. These schedules, as well as the relative convenience of rail as opposed to air travel especially after the September 11 attacks, and direct downtown - to - downtown service have made the Acela Express more competitive with the air shuttles. Platform track speeds Due to the high speed at which Acela trains bypass platforms of local stations, concerns have mounted in some communities over inadequate warnings and safeguards for passengers waiting for other trains, including that the two - foot wide yellow platform markings may not keep people at a safe distance. At Kingston Station in Rhode Island, the trains pass platforms at 150 mph ( 241 km / h ), while at Mansfield station in Massachusetts, Acela trains pass by at 120 mph ( 193 km / h ). Suggestions include platform safety barriers, or use of different announcements for approaching Acela trains versus slower ones. In 2011, federal transportation grants were awarded to improve Kingston station, including the construction of a third track to be used by the Acela as a through track to bypass the station, helping to alleviate safety concerns. Renovations were officially completed on October 30, 2017. Play media Acela passing through Kingston Station at 150 mph ( 241 km / h ) Mansfield station with two platform tracks also used by Acela Warning at Kingston Station Outages In August 2002, shortly after their introduction, Acela trainsets were briefly removed from service when the brackets that connected truck ( bogie ) dampers ( shocks ) to the powerunit carbodies ( `` yaw dampers '' ) were found to be cracking. The Acela returned to service when a program of frequent inspections was instituted. The damper brackets have since been redesigned and old brackets replaced by the newer design. On April 15, 2005, the Acela was removed from service when cracks were found in the disc brakes of many passenger coaches. The Bombardier - Alstom consortium replaced the discs under warranty. Limited service resumed in July 2005, as a portion of the fleet operated with new brake discs. Metroliner trains, which the Acela Express was intended to replace, filled in during the outage. Amtrak announced on September 21, 2005, that all 20 trainsets had been returned to full operation. Service Map of the areas and stations served by the Acela Composition The production sets are formed as follows : Car no. 5 6 7 8 Total Designation Power Business Class Business Class Cafe Business Class Business Class ( quiet car ) First Class Power Weight ( US ton ) 102.0 71.0 69.5 68.5 69.5 69.5 71.0 102.0 623.0 Capacity 0 65 65 0 65 65 44 0 304 The Acela Express trainset consists of two power cars, a café car, a First Class car, and four Business Class cars, semi-permanently coupled together. It has fewer seats than regional service counterparts. The First Class car has 44 seats, being three seats across ( one on one side, two on the other side ) and four seat tables. There are 260 Business Class seats on each trainset ; these cars have four seats across ( two on each side ) and four - seat tables. Reservations guarantee seating but seats are not assigned. Baggage may be stowed in overhead compartments or underneath seats. Trains are wheelchair - accessible. Cars have one or two toilets each, with one ADA compliant. The car adjacent to First Class is designated as the quiet car, where passengers are asked to refrain from loud talking and phone conversations. Automatic sliding doors between cars reduce noise. Staffing and operation Generally Amtrak train crews consist of an engineer, a conductor, and at least one assistant conductor. Acela trains also have an On - Board Service crew consisting of two First Class attendants and a Cafe Car attendant. In addition to the food service provided in the Cafe Car, on most trains an attendant will also provide at seat cart service, serving refreshments throughout the train. First Class passengers are served meals at their seats on all services. At Amtrak, the On - Board Service crew is considered separate and subordinate to the Train and Engine crews. Acela maintenance is generally taken care of at the Ivy City facility in Washington, DC ; Sunnyside Yard in Queens, New York ; or Southampton Street Yard in Boston. The Acela trainsets underwent minor refurbishments between mid-2009 and 2010 at Penn Coach Yard, next to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These refurbishments included new blue leather seats throughout the trainset. Wi - Fi service Wireless Internet station service began in 2004. In 2010, with services provided by The GBS Group, all Acela trains began offering AmtrakConnect ( SSID AmtrakConnectAcela ) supporting 802.11 a / b / g / n, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and standard VPN connections. Notable incidents During the Northeast blackout of 2003, a northbound Acela Express train was stuck on the Hell Gate Bridge for over 9 hours until a rescue engine from Sunnyside Yard was able to tow the train back to Penn Station. The first Acela grade crossing accident occurred on September 27, 2005, when a car rolled under closed crossing gate arms in Waterford, Connecticut, and was struck by a train traveling at 70 miles per hour ( 110 km / h ), killing three. The gates were found to have been functioning properly, but the incident drew much criticism regarding the eleven remaining grade crossings along Amtrak 's busy Northeast Corridor. In March 2017, an Acela Express train derailed at low speed in New York 's Penn Station during morning rush hour. The derailment was caused by a defective section of track, which Amtrak was aware of but had not yet fixed. Station stops State Town / City Station Connections Massachusetts Boston South Station Amtrak : Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail : Fairmount Line, Framingham / Worcester Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line, Old Colony Lines, Providence / Stoughton Line MBTA Bus Lines : 4, 6, 7, 11, 448, 449, 459 MBTA Subway Lines : Red Line, Silver Line ( Waterfront ) Intercity Buses : Greyhound Bus Lines, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Concord Coach Lines, Dartmouth Coach. Back Bay Amtrak : Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail : Framingham / Worcester Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line, Providence / Stoughton Line MBTA Bus Lines : 10, 39, 170 MBTA Subway Lines : Orange Line Westwood Route 128 Amtrak : Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail : Providence / Stoughton Line Rhode Island Providence Providence Amtrak : Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail : Providence / Stoughton Line RIPTA Buses : 50, 55, 56, 57 Connecticut New London New London Union Station Amtrak : Northeast Regional ConnDOT : Shore Line East New Haven New Haven - Union Station Amtrak : Northeast Regional, Shuttle, Vermonter Metro - North Railroad : New Haven Line ConnDOT : Shore Line East CT Transit New Haven : J, Commuter Connection Downtown and Sargent Drive, Temple Street Garage Shuttle Intercity Buses : Greyhound Bus Lines, Peter Pan Bus Lines Stamford Stamford Amtrak : Northeast Regional, Vermonter Metro - North Railroad : New Haven Line ConnDOT : Shore Line East CT Transit Stamford : 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 24, 31, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42, 43, 44, Commuter Connection Central, Commuter Connection - North, Commuter Connection Route 1 -- East, Commuter Connection Bulls Head, I - Bus New York New York City Penn Station Amtrak : Adirondack, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter LIRR : Main Line, Port Washington Branch NJ Transit : North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Gladstone Branch, Montclair - Boonton Line, Morristown Line NYC Subway : 1, 2, and 3 A, ​ C and ​ E trains NYC Transit buses : M4, M7, M20, M34 / M34A Select Bus Service, Q32 New Jersey Newark Newark Penn Station Amtrak : Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter NJ Transit : Newark City Subway, Newark Light Rail, North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Raritan Valley Line, 1, 5, 11, 21, 25, 28, 29, 34, 39, 40, 62, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 78, 79, 108, 308, 319, 361, 375, 378 PATH : NWK - WTC Iselin Metropark Amtrak : Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Vermonter NJ Transit : Northeast Corridor Line, 48, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805 Trenton Trenton Transit Center Amtrak : Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Northeast Regional, Vermonter NJ Transit : Northeast Corridor Line, River Line, 409, 418, 600, 601, 604, 606, 608, 609, 611, 619 SEPTA Regional Rail : Trenton Line SEPTA Suburban Transit Division : 127 Pennsylvania Philadelphia 30th Street Station Amtrak : Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter NJ Transit : Atlantic City Line SEPTA City Transit Division : Market - Frankford Line, Route 10, Route 11, Route 13, Route 34, Route 36, 9, 30, 31, 44, 62, 78, 316 SEPTA Suburban Transit Division : 124, 125 SEPTA Regional Rail : Airport Line, Warminster Line, Wilmington / Newark Line, West Trenton Line, Media / Elwyn Line, Lansdale / Doylestown Line, Paoli / Thorndale Line, Manayunk / Norristown Line, Cynwyd Line, Trenton Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Fox Chase Line Delaware Wilmington Wilmington Station Amtrak : Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Palmetto, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter DART First State : 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 28, 32, 301 SEPTA Regional Rail : Wilmington / Newark Line Maryland Baltimore Baltimore Penn Station Amtrak : Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Palmetto, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter MARC Train : Penn Line MTA Maryland : Light Rail, 3, 11, 64, Charm City Circulator : Purple Route BWI Rail Station Amtrak : Northeast Regional, Vermonter MARC Train : Penn Line MTA Maryland : 17, 201 Howard Transit : Silver Route District of Columbia Washington Washington Union Station Amtrak : Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Palmetto, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia MARC Train : Brunswick Line, Camden Line, Penn Line VRE : Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line Washington Metro : Red Line Metrobus : D3, D6, D8, X1, X2, X8, X9, 80, 96, 97 DC Circulator : Georgetown, Navy Yard DC Streetcar : H Street / Benning Road Line MTA Maryland : 903, 922 Loudoun County Transit : Loudoun County PRTC : Dale City Future Acela trains Main article : Avelia Liberty On August 26, 2016, Vice President Joe Biden announced a $2.45 billion federal loan package to pay for new Acela equipment, as well as upgrades to the NEC. The loans will finance 28 train - sets that will replace the existing fleet of twenty. This will allow for hourly New York - Boston service all day and half - hourly New York - Washington service at peak hours. The new trains will be called Avelia Liberty. They will have 30 % greater seating capacity, active tilt technology and could operate at 186 miles per hour ( 299 km / h ) if infrastructure improvements were completed to allow the higher speeds. The trains will be built by Alstom in Hornell and Rochester, New York. The new trains will be phased in between 2021 and 2022, after which the current fleet is to be retired. Amtrak will pay off the loans from increased NEC passenger revenue. See also Talgo XXI List of high - speed trains Fred Weiderhold References Jump up ^ `` Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. April 17, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Northeast Corridor Boston - Washington Timetable '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. September 5, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Northeast Corridor Boston - Washington Timetable '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. September 5, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Northeast Corridor New York - Washington Timetable '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. September 5, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Acela Express Overview ''. Amtrak. Retrieved April 21, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` The Amtrak Vision for the North East Corridor 2012 Update Report '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. July 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Acela Express, United States of America ''. Railway-Technology.com. Retrieved September 3, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Dao, James ( April 24, 2005 ). `` Acela, Built to Be Rail 's Savior, Bedevils Amtrak at Every Turn ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. April 17, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` All Aboard Amtrak 's Acela ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2015. Jump up ^ Nixon, Ron ( August 15, 2012 ). `` Frustrations of Air Travel Push Passengers to Amtrak ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Acela run expected to match U.S. rail speed record of 165 mph ( 266 km / h ) ''. The Baltimore Sun. September 24, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Information : Most popular airline routes ''. Financial Times. January 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 21, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Jump up ^ `` America 's Not - So - Fast Trains ''. The New York Times. August 1, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Next - Generation High Speed Trains ''. Amtrak. Retrieved November 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` CHRONOLOGY OF HIGH - SPEED RAIL CORRIDORS ''. Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ICE Train North America Tour ''. Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau ( in German ). 42 ( Nr. 11 ) : 756. 1993. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak unveils high - speed shuttle trains for busy travelers -- Service between Boston, Washington is designed to compete with airlines ''. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. March 10, 1999. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Amtrak To Unveil High - Speed Service ''. Associated Press. March 9, 1999. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` At - grade crossings : Innovation, safety, sophisticated new technology ''. Railway Track and Structures. June 1, 1999. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Public Archaeology Laboratory ( 2001 ). Amtrak 's High Speed Rail Program, New Haven to Boston : History and Historic Resources ( PDF ). National Railroad Passenger Corporation ( Amtrak ). Jump up ^ `` U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater celebrates inaugural run of Acela Express high - speed rail service ''. M2 Presswire. November 17, 2000. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak postpones debut of high - speed rail line ''. Business Courier Serving Cincinnati -- Northern Kentucky. March 3, 2000. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Black, R. Clifford ( March 2005 ). `` The Acela Express '' ( PDF ) ( 40 ). Japan Railway & Transport Review. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ MacHalaba, Daniel ( March 28, 1999 ). `` Metroliner name on past track ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak to run last Metroliner ''. Trains.com. September 8, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak to increase service for Boston, New York and D.C ''. Boston Business Journal. September 8, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Christopher Conkey ( August 27, 2008 ). `` All Aboard : Too many for Amtrak -- Surge in ridership leads to crowding on Intercity trains ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak To Add 40 Coach Cars To Acela Express Under FY 2012 Budget Plan '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. February 14, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Jump up ^ O'Toole, James ( December 13, 2012 ). `` Amtrak to replace high - speed Acela trains ''. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak and California Request Bids for High - Speed Trainsets '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. January 24, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak and California drop joint high - speed train tender ''. Global Rail News. June 24, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` '' All Aboard Amtrak 's Acela `` ''. Washingtonpost.com. November 11, 2000. Retrieved October 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Ramstack, Tom ( March 19, 2004 ). `` Amtrak Reaches Settlement with Manufacturers of Acela Express ''. The Washington Times. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak and Bombardier / Alstom Consortium Announce Resolution of Legal Claims '' ( PDF ). euronext.com. March 17, 2004. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on June 16, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Amtrak train looks to break U.S. speed record in Northeast Corridor test, By Mike Frassinelli / The Star - Ledger, September 25, 2012, at 7 : 00 AM, updated September 25, 2012, at 12 : 24 PM Jump up ^ `` Dedication of plaque commemorating high speed rail in America '' on the National Capital Land Transportation Committee 's website Jump up ^ `` The Acela Story Part 2 : Planning for the Not - So - Distant Future - Northeast Alliance for Rail ''. Jump up ^ `` New trains, new name for Northeast Corridor : Amtrak 's High - speed Acela service is due later this year ''. The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 10, 1999. Retrieved May 2, 2009. Jump up ^ Garland, Russell ( March 12, 1999 ). `` Amtrak switch : Is it on the right track ? Advertising people say the new Acela name gives a mixed message ''. Providence Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Jay Jochnowitz ( March 10, 1999 ). `` New Amtrak trains on fast track ''. Times Union ( Albany ). p. A1. Jump up ^ `` Acela ''. Corporate Design Foundation. Retrieved May 2, 2009. Jump up ^ Vantuono, William ( April 1, 1999 ). `` Amtrak 's vision : Today, the Northeast. Tomorrow America ''. Railway Age. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak begins Phila - Boston service that 's 45 minutes faster `` Acela Regionals '' go into service as the first step in improvements on the Northeast Corridor line ``. The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 1, 2000. Retrieved August 30, 2009. Jump up ^ Bob Johnston, Amtrak opens Boston electrification, Trains April 2000 Jump up ^ Ron Newman, Acela Regional starts January 31, 2000, misc. transport. rail. americas January 27, 2000 Jump up ^ Arnold, Laurence ( March 5, 2003 ). `` Amtrak will use name ' Acela ' to describe high - speed trains only ''. Associated Press. Jump up ^ `` All Acela Power Car 's on this site ''. Rrpicturearchives.net. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2012. Jump up ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20120515115623/http://www.traintesting.com/Acela_0029_Nov01_en.pdf Jump up ^ Black, R. Clifford ( March 2005 ). `` The Acela Express '' ( PDF ). Japan Railway & Transport Review. ^ Jump up to : Perren, Brian. TGV Handbook, Including Eurostar. 2nd ed. Harrow Weald ( United Kingdom ) : Capital Transport Publishing. p156. Jump up ^ `` TGVweb - Acela Express ''. Trainweb.org. Retrieved June 18, 2012. Jump up ^ McCaughrin, Eric ( March 5, 2007 ). `` How the FRA is Regulating Passenger Rail Out of Existence ''. East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Jump up ^ Philips, Don ( January 2010 ). `` Now it seems to be official : Freight rail is the future ''. Trains. 70 ( 1 ) : 10. When the train was being tested at the technology center in Pueblo, Colo., I had lunch one day out on the ballast with the French and Canadian crews doing the testing. The conversation turned to the weight of the Acela, which the crews considered laughably too heavy. At one point, a French engineer confided that the crews called the train `` le cochon '', meaning `` the pig ''. The man and his supervisor immediately realized he had said too much. They asked me to keep that a secret, and I did for many years until I was sure everyone on the program had moved on to other jobs. Jump up ^ James Dao ; Matthew L. Wald ; Don Philips ( April 24, 2005 ). `` Acela, Built to Be Rail 's Savior, Bedevils Amtrak at Every Turn ''. The New York Times. Before the first train was built, the Federal Railroad Administration required it to meet crash safety standards that senior Amtrak officials considered too strict. That forced the manufacturers, Bombardier Inc. of Canada and GEC Alstom of France, to make the trains twice as heavy as European models. Workers dubbed the trains le cochon -- the pig. Jump up ^ `` Bombardier unveils new JetTrain locomotive ''. International Railway Journal. November 2002. Jump up ^ `` Northeast Corridor Employee Timetable # 5 '' ( PDF ). National Railroad Passenger Corporation ( Amtrak ). October 6, 2014. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on February 3, 2016 -- via National Transportation Safety Board. Jump up ^ The timetable gives 2 hours and 45 minutes, minimum, between New York and Washington. Dividing that into 224.7 miles ( 361.6 km ) ( 89.0 miles from New York Penn Station to Philadelphia + 134.6 to Washington, DC + 1.1 to Washington 's Union Station ) gives 81.7 mph. Jump up ^ The timetable gives 3 hours and 25 minutes, minimum, between Boston and New York. Dividing that into 228.7 route miles gives 66.9 mph. Jump up ^ The timetable gives 6 hours and 30 minutes, minimum. Dividing that into 464.5 route miles ( 228.7 miles Boston South Station to New York Penn Station + 224.7 to Washington Union Station ) gives 69.75 mph. Jump up ^ `` The Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Master Plan '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. March 24, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak Ink : Aug - Sept 2012 '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. Retrieved August 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Metro - North Railroad EMPLOYEE TIMETABLE No. 4 '' ( PDF ). Metro - North Railroad. June 21, 2010 ( February 5, 2006 ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2013. This notes, on p. 41, that the 90 mph section is from MP ( MilePost ) 17.2 to MP 21.4 ; that begins midway between New Rochelle and Larchmont, and ends between Mamaroneck and Harrison. Jump up ^ `` New Haven Catenary Replacement Project Update ( May 2017 ) ''. MTA. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Northeast Corridor timetable '' ( PDF ). Amtrak. August 4, 2008. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Moynihan Station ''. empire.state.ny.us. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2007. Jump up ^ Jane Dee ( March 29, 1999 ). `` Rail crossings safety concern for Amtrak ''. Hartford Courant. Retrieved August 29, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Inside the Acela ''. The Washington Post. November 30, 2000. Retrieved August 29, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Acela Article ''. railfaneurope.net. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Laurence Arnold ( December 11, 2001 ). `` Fast train begins service with Washington - Boston roundtrip ''. The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved November 13, 2006. Jump up ^ Heppner, Frank ( 2012 ). Railroads of Rhode Island : shaping the Ocean State 's railways. Charleston, SC : History Press. p. 182. ISBN 978 - 1 - 60949 - 333 - 2. Jump up ^ Shields, Bill ( January 18, 2013 ). `` Mansfield Raises Concerns Over Amtrak Acela Warning System ''. CBS Boston. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Smith, Nell ( January 17, 2013 ). `` Mansfield sounds Acela warning ''. The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Riordan, Lisa M. ( May 12, 2011 ). `` Federal Grants Will Help Build Line For Acela To Bypass Kingston Station ''. Narragansett Patch. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Gravelle, Kendra ( November 3, 2017 ). `` Renovations complete at Kingston Station ''. Narragansett Times. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Reed, Raimondo Cut Ribbon on Kingston Train Station Upgrades '' ( Press release ). Office of Jack Reed. October 30, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Discovery of hairline cracks causes more problems for Amtrak 's Acela Express ''. USA Today. August 20, 2002. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ Daniel, Mac ( August 14, 2002 ). `` Flaws Shut Down Amtrak 's Acela Express Line ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Service Alert : Acela Express -- Amtrak Cancels All Friday and Saturday Acela Express Service Due to Brake Problem ''. Amtrak. Retrieved April 15, 2005. Jump up ^ Hauser, Kristine ( April 15, 2005 ). `` Amtrak Suspends Acela Trains After Finding Brake Problems ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2005. Jump up ^ Reed, Keith ( June 10, 2005 ). `` Acela 's return expected in July ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` TGVweb - Acela Express ''. Jump up ^ Andy Sperandeo ( May 1, 2006 ). `` The people who work on trains ''. Trains. Jump up ^ Grynbaum, Michael ( January 13, 2010 ). `` Amtrak Introduces Blue, if Not Corinthian, Leather ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Glenn Fleishman ( July 8, 2004 ). `` Behind the Curve ; Access on Metro - North or Amtrak Cars ? Not So Fast ''. The New York Times. ^ Jump up to : `` Amtrak Launches Wi - Fi Service '' ( PDF ) ( Press release ). Amtrak. March 1, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010. Jump up ^ Hayhurst, Paul ( August 16, 2003 ). `` Welcome to the Blackout of 2003 ''. Jump up ^ McGeehan, Patrick ; Wald, Matthew L. ( September 30, 2005 ). `` High - Tech Gates Fail to Avert Car - Train Crash ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Investigators Seek Answers In Fatal Crash That Killed Two ; Cause of Waterford car - train accident may never be known ''. The New London Day. September 30, 2005. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Family sues over fatal car crash on railroad tracks ''. The Boston Globe. Associated Press. December 27, 2006. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2007. Jump up ^ Katie Little ( March 24, 2017 ). `` Amtrak Acela derails at NY Penn Station, some service disruptions ''. CNBC. Jump up ^ Emma G. Fitzsimmons ; Nick Corasaniti ( April 6, 2017 ). `` Amtrak Knew of Flaw That Caused Penn Station Derailment ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Amtrak 's Next - Generation of High - Speed Trains '' ( Press release ). Amtrak. August 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Aratani, Lori ( August 26, 2016 ). `` Biden announces upgrades for Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor ''. The Washington Post. Further reading Solomon, Brian ( 2004 ). Amtrak. Saint Paul, MN : MBI. ISBN 0 - 760 - 31765 - 8. Wilner, Frank ( 2012 ). Amtrak : Past, Present, Future. Simmons - Boardman Books, Omaha. ISBN 978 - 0911382 - 59 - 4. Vranich, Joseph ( 2004 ). End of the line : the failure of Amtrak reform and the future of America 's passenger trains. AEI Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8447 - 4203 - 8. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acela Express. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rail travel in the United States. Amtrak : Acela Express Trainset Information `` Acela Express, '' TGVweb Northeast Corridor services Inter-city Amtrak Acela Express Northeast Regional New Haven -- Springfield Shuttle Cardinal Carolinian Crescent Keystone Palmetto Pennsylvanian Silver Meteor Silver Star Vermonter Commuter MBTA Providence / Stoughton Line CDOT Shore Line East Metro - North New Haven Line NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line North Jersey Coast Line SEPTA Trenton Line Wilmington / Newark Line MARC Penn Line Freight Norfolk Southern Railway CSX Transportation Providence and Worcester Railroad Conrail Amtrak routes Long distance West California Zephyr Coast Starlight Empire Builder Southwest Chief Sunset Limited Texas Eagle East Auto Train Capitol Limited Cardinal City of New Orleans Crescent Lake Shore Limited Silver Service Silver Meteor Silver Star Corridor West Amtrak Cascades Heartland Flyer Amtrak California Capitol Corridor Pacific Surfliner San Joaquin Mid - west Hiawatha Service Hoosier State Missouri River Runner Illinois Service Black Hawk ( planned ) Carl Sandburg Illini Illinois Zephyr Lincoln Service Saluki Quad Cities ( planned ) Michigan Services Blue Water Pere Marquette Wolverine East Adirondack Downeaster Empire Service Ethan Allen Express Keystone Service Maple Leaf ( shared with VIA Rail Canada ) Pennsylvanian Vermonter Atlantic Coast Service Carolinian Palmetto Piedmont Northeast Corridor Acela Express Keystone Service New Haven -- Springfield Shuttle Northeast Regional Former Abraham Lincoln Ann Rutledge Arrowhead Atlantic City Express Badger Bankers Bay State Beacon Hill Betsy Ross Black Hawk Blue Ridge Blue Water Limited Broadway Limited Calumet Campus Cape Codder Capitols Champion Chesapeake Chief City of San Francisco Clamdigger Clocker Coast Daylight Colonial Congress Connecticut Connector Connecticut Valley Service Connecticut Yankee Denver Zephyr Desert Wind Duquesne Eagle Empire State Express Encore Expo ' 74 Fast Mail Federal Florida Special Floridian Fort Pitt George Washington Gotham Limited Gulf Breeze Gulf Coast Limited Hilltopper Indiana Connection Inter-American International International Limited James Whitcomb Riley James River Kansas City Mule Kentucky Cardinal Keystone Lake Cities Lake Country Limited Lake Shore Las Vegas Limited LaSalle Limited Lone Star Loop Manhattan Manhattan Turbo Marquette Merchants Limited Metroliner Miamian Michigan Executive Montrealer Mount Baker International Mount Rainier Mountaineer National Limited New Yorker Niagara Rainbow Nicollet Night Owl North Coast Hiawatha North Star Northwest Talgo Old Dominion Orange County Commuter Pacific International Pacific Northwest Corridor Panama Limited Patriot Pioneer Potomac Special Potomac Turbo Prairie Marksman Prairie State Puget Sound Radisson River Cities San Diegan San Francisco Zephyr Senator Shawnee Shenandoah Silver Palm Silverliner Service South Wind Southern Crescent Southwest Limited Spirit of California Spirit of St. Louis St. Clair St. Louis Mule State House Super Chief Super Chief - El Capitan Texas Chief Three Rivers Tidewater Turboliner Twilight Limited Twilight Shoreliner Twin Cities Hiawatha Vacationer Valley Forge Virginian West Virginian Washingtonian Weekend Metroliner Willamette Valley Yankee Clipper Links to related articles Amtrak rolling stock Railcars / Trainsets Amfleet Horizon Surfliner Superliner California Car Viewliner Talgo Acela Express Metroliner cab car Comet IB Heritage Fleet Auto Train Autorack NGCE Bi-Level ( future ) Diesel locomotives GE Genesis P40DC GE Genesis P42DC EMD F59PHI GE P32 - 8WH EMD GP38H - 3 Siemens Charger Dual - Mode locomotives GE Genesis P32AC - DM Electric locomotives Siemens ACS - 64 Work locomotives EMD GP38 EMD MP15 EMD SW1 EMD SW1000R EMD SW1001 EMD SW1500 GE 80t MPI GP15 MPI MP14B / MP21B Former locomotives Diesel EMD E8 / E9 EMD F3B / F7 / FP7 EMD SDP40F GE P30CH EMD F40PH / F40PHR EMD F69PHAC Bombardier LRC ( trainset ) Budd RDC ( DMU ) Dual - Mode EMD FL9 Electric PRR GG1 Budd Metroliner ( EMU ) GE E60 EMD AEM - 7 Bombardier HHP - 8 Gas Turbine UAC TurboTrain ( trainset ) ANF / Rohr Turboliner ( trainset ) Work locomotives ALCO RS - 1 / RS - 3 ALCO S - 2 EMD CF7 EMD GP7 / GP9 EMD GP40 EMD SSB1200 EMD SW8 GE 45t / 65t Railpower GG20B PRR E44 ( electric ) High - speed rail in the United States Services Acela Express California High - Speed Rail Texas Central Railway Corridors California Chicago Hub Florida Gateway Project Illinois Keystone Nevada XpressWest New York Northern New England Ohio Hub Pacific Northwest South Central Southeast TGV Class -- Train à Grande Vitesse Lines in service LGV Atlantique LGV Bretagne - Pays de la Loire LGV Est LGV Interconnexion Est LGV Méditerranée LGV Nord LGV Rhin - Rhône ( Eastern branch ) LGV Rhône - Alpes LGV Sud - Est LGV Sud Europe Atlantique Perpignan -- Barcelona Lines under construction Contournement Nîmes -- Montpellier Planned / projected lines LGV Bordeaux -- Spain LGV Bordeaux -- Toulouse LGV Interconnexion Sud LGV Montpellier -- Perpignan LGV Normandie LGV Picardie LGV POCL LGV Poitiers -- Limoges LGV Provence - Alpes - Côte d'Azur LGV Rhin - Rhône ( Western and Southern branches ) LGV Toulouse -- Narbonne Turin -- Lyon high - speed railway Canceled projects LGV des Titans Rolling stock TGV 2N2 TGV Atlantique TGV Duplex TGV PBKA TGV POS TGV Réseau / PBA TGV Sud - Est TGV TMST International services Artésia Elipsos Eurostar TGV Lyria Thalys Associated high - speed lines High Speed 1 HSL 1 HSL 2 HSL 3 Cologne - Aachen HSL 4 HSL - Zuid Madrid - Barcelona Export trainsets Acela AVE Class 100 KTX - I Other Development of the TGV TGV accidents TGV services TGV stations TGV track construction Transmission Voie - Machine High - speed rail Part of rail transport Technologies Conventional Hovertrain Maglev Vactrain High - speed trains 300 km / h ( 186 mph ) or more Alstom AGV Avelia Liberty AVE Class 100, 102, 103 China Railways CR2C, 3C, 380A, 380B, 380C, 380D, China Standardized EMU ; MTR CRH380A ETR 500 Eurostar e300 ; e320 ETR 1000 ICE 3 KTX - I, II ( Sancheon ) Oaris Shinkansen Series 500, N700, E5, E6, H5, L0 AVRIL TGV Sud - Est ( refurbished ), Atlantique, Réseau, Duplex, POS, 2N2 TCDD HT80000 Thalys PBA, PBKA THSR 700T Transrapid Shanghai Maglev Train Siemens Velaro Bombardier Zefiro 250 -- 299 km / h ( 155 -- 186 mph ) China Railways CRH 1A, 1B, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2E, 5 China Star New Pendolino ICE 1, 2 RENFE Class 120, 121, 130 Sapsan SBB RABe 501, RABe 503 Shinkansen Series 200, 300, 700, 800, E2, E3, E7, W7 TCDD HT65000 TGV Sud - Est ( original ), La Poste V250 Fyra 200 -- 249 km / h ( 124 -- 155 mph ) Acela Express Adelante APT AVE Class 101 / Euromed CRH6A ER200 GMB Class 71 ( Flytoget ) IC4 InterCity 125 InterCity 225 Brightline ICE T, TD ICE 4 ( ICx ) Javelin NSB Class 73 NSB Class 74 Pendolino Railjet Regina Shinkansen series 0, 100, 400, E1, E4 SBB RABDe 500, RABDe 502, RABe 502, Re 460 SJ 2000, SJ X40 Z - TER ( Z 21500 ) Sokol Class 800, Class 801, Class 802 Talgo XXI Voyager / Meridian X3 Experimental and prototype high - speed trains ( category ) High - speed railway line List of high - speed railway lines By country planned networks in italics Africa Morocco Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Mexico United States Asia China Hong Kong India Indonesia Iran Iraq Japan Kazakhstan South Korea Malaysia and Singapore Philippines Saudi Arabia Russia Taiwan Thailand Turkey Uzbekistan Vietnam Europe Austria Belgium Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Italy Latvia Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Russia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom Oceania Australia Planned high - speed rail by country North American lightweight passenger trains by manufacturer ACF ACF - Talgo B&M Speed Merchant CRI&P Talgo Jet Rocket GM&N Rebel Motorailer NYNH&H John Quincy Adams ANF / Rohr Turboliner Bombardier / MLW Acela JetTrain LRC Budd B&M - MEC Flying Yankee CB&Q Denver Zephyrs CB&Q General Pershing Zephyr CB&Q Mark Twain Zephyr CB&Q Nebraska Zephyrs CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr CB&Q Twin Zephyrs CRI&P Rockets ' ( 1937 ) D&RGW Prospector Metroliner NYNH&H Roger Williams PRR Keystone Reading Crusader ( 1937 ) RDC Rubber - tired rail cars GM / EMD Aerotrain Goodyear / Zeppelin NYNH&H Comet Pullman IC Green Diamond NYC Xplorer NYNH&H Dan'l Webster UP M - 10000 UP M - 10001 UP M - 10002 UP M - 10003 -- M - 10006 United Aircraft / Pullman / MLW TurboTrain See also : Lightweight train locomotives New England Topics Autumn Climate Cuisine Culture Demographics Economy Elections Flag Geography Geology Government History New England Colonies Dominion of New England New England Confederation Literature Politics Sports States Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont Major cities Augusta Boston Bridgeport Burlington Cambridge Concord Hartford Lowell Manchester Montpelier New Bedford New Haven New London New Britain Portland Providence Quincy Springfield Stamford Waterbury Worcester State capitals Augusta Boston Concord Hartford Montpelier Providence Transportation Passenger rail MBTA ( MA, RI ) Northeast Corridor ( CT, MA, RI ) Acela Express ( CT, MA, RI ) Downeaster ( ME, NH, MA ) Vermonter ( CT, MA, NH, VT ) Shore Line East ( CT ) Metro - 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Question: how fast does the amtrak acela train go
Answer: 150 mph