Train status: Delayed. Amtrak's new Acela fleet not ready for service just yet.
Amtrak’s new Acela trains are already years late.
The new trains were supposed to enter service in 2021, and the railroad says the delay is because testing isn’t going smoothly.
“We want our customers to experience these new train sets as soon as possible, but Amtrak cannot operate them for passenger service until Alstom has completed testing and meet all safety requirements,” an Amtrak spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Based on currently available data from Alstom, the initial revenue launch is anticipated to be delayed to 2024.”
It comes down to Amtrak’s old tracks. Although the Biden administration has pledged millions of dollars to upgrade key segments of the Northeast Corridor – including aging bridges and tunnels around New York and Baltimore – the European-style high speed train sets simply aren’t ready for showtime on the 19th and 20th century rail infrastructure that predominates in the U.S.
The new trains, designed by Alstom, are also built to different standards than the previous generation of Acela.
“The modeling of the wheel to track interface is particularly complex due to age, condition, and specific characteristics of Amtrak infrastructure on the Northeast corridor, and especially the existing tracks,” an Alstom spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. “Consequently, Alstom has been conducting extensive investigations to ensure that the trains will operate safely in all conditions, and we are working collaboratively with the FRA and Amtrak to complete modeling, simulation, and testing activities to ensure that all FRA safety requirements are fully met.”
New Federal Railroad Administration equipment safety standards for passenger trains went into effect in 2019.
The current Acela fleet began entering service in 2000 and was initially set to retire in 2021. Now the first generation high speed trains likely won’t be fully retired until 2024 at the earliest.
The new Acela train sets are being constructed in upstate New York and many have already been delivered to Amtrak – they just have not yet been approved for passenger service.
Cruising Altitude: Progress for disabled travelers is not coming fast enough
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Amtrak Acela trains need more tests before the all aboard sounds
