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Amtrak Sets August 28 Debut for NextGen Acela Trains

Launching with five trainsets on August 28, the new fleet will grow to 28 by late 2027 to enhance service on the Washington-Boston route.

Image
Acela II heads to the yard out of Washington Union Station. Amtrak has full rights to this image.
New Acela 21 in Testing
Interior of Amtrak's new Acela trains
Seats on the new trains have winged headrests, reading lights, individual power outlets and other upgrades for passengers.

Overview

  • Revenue service for the NextGen Acela will begin August 28 with an initial five trainsets operating on the Northeast Corridor.
  • Amtrak plans to phase in the remaining 23 trainsets over the next two years, completing the full 28-set fleet by the end of 2027.
  • Each new Acela offers 27% more seats per train and achieves a higher in-service top speed than the previous models.
  • Onboard amenities include free high-speed 5G Wi-Fi, individual power outlets and personal reading lights at every seat.
  • The rollout follows extended testing and costly retrofits to resolve production defects, window failures and corrosion identified during safety reviews.