NEC: New York - New Haven

Amtrak

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The sprawling Big Apple and the bustling city of New Haven come together in the exciting new NEC: New York-New Haven route for Train Simulator, featuring many of New York’s famous landmarks and advanced signalling throughout.

Joining the USA’s most populated city, New York, to Connecticut’s second largest city, New Haven, the original line was completed in 1849; classic American steam trains were the first to use the line before it was electrified in the early 20th century. It also forms part of the longer Northeast Corridor, which runs from Boston to Washington D.C.

The 75 mile (120km) route for Train Simulator features two of New York’s most famous train terminals, Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station, both within four blocks of each other but serving two different routes through The Big Apple.

The stunning and imperious Grand Central Station in New York – once home to the great passenger trains of the New York Central - is Metro-North’s southernmost point of its Harlem Line. An underground station, trains depart Grand Central via the Park Avenue Tunnel and Park Avenue Viaduct to Harlem along third-rail lines towards Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.

New York Penn Station – otherwise known as Pennsylvania Station – is Amtrak’s mainline New York station for Northeast Corridor services. Running through the East River Tunnels underneath the City, the line passes the imposing Sunnyside Yard – a 192 acre Amtrak coach yard – towards New Rochelle, crossing the stunning Hell Gate Bridge, through Astoria Queens and Upper Manhattan.

At New Rochelle, both Metro-North and Amtrak lines merge and continue north on overhead catenary, keeping in sight of Long Island Sound, offering impressive views across Connecticut State, and through Stamford, Bridgeport and Milford, before arriving at New Haven Union Station.

Many branch lines duck and dive off the main line through New York, including the Yankee Branch, which serves the New York Yankees Stadium on baseball match days, and the New Canaan Branch north of Stamford, serving one of the wealthiest communities in the US.

Long-distance Amtrak passenger services along the New York-New Haven line are increasingly operated by ultra-modern ACS-64 electric locomotives, which first entered service in February 2014. Built by Siemens for Amtrak, the ACS-64 is designed to replace the existing fleet of AEM-7 and HHP-8 locomotives on the route. With a maximum power output of 8,600hp, the locomotive is capable of accelerating 18 Amfleet cars to a maximum speed of 125mph in little over eight minutes and is fitted with advanced, state-of-the-art safety systems.

Freight operations on the line are a common sight too, often being pulled by CSX Transportation locomotives. The EMD SD40-2, included with this route, was introduced between 1972 and 1986 and was an upgrade to the SD40 series. Modular electronic control systems give the locomotive more reliability and economy than its competitors, even though it is not as powerful, making it one of the best-selling locomotives of all time.

## Scenarios

* 66 Northeast Regional to New Haven Part 1
* 66 Northeast Regional to New Haven Part 2
* 55 Vermonter to Bridgeport
* 55 Vermonter to Stamford
* Sunnyside Balloon
* Vermonter to New York Penn