Packed end to end with special guests including federal officials, business leaders and 15 students from a technology high school in Philadelphia, the train was expected to break Amtrak speed records during its trip. When regular passenger service in the Northeast begins Dec. 11, America finally will have a rail line comparable to the high-speed train service common in Europe and Japan. Amtrak officials and rail enthusiasts hope favorable publicity will increase the demand for similar high-speed lines elsewhere in the country. Acela Express will cut about one half-hour off the current Metroliner service between Washington and New York and about 45 minutes off the New York to Boston trip. Speed is not the only attraction of Acela Express.
Audio service is available at each seat.
Amtrak and high-speed rail advocates have much riding on Acela Express. If it's a success, it will boost Amtrak's revenues and could lead to other high-speed trains elsewhere in the country. If it fails, however, Acela Express could be the swan song for Amtrak, the federally subsidized railway that is under orders from Congress to become financially self-sufficient by 2003. Once a leader in rail travel, the United States has fallen decades behind other countries. Japan's Shinkansen trains, introduced just before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, regularly hit 186 mph and have reached maximum speeds of 275 mph in test runs.