Riding Acela, America's ONLY "High Speed" Train

When I saw that I could book an Acela ticket for just $22, I knew I had to get it. Acela is Amtrak's only "high speed" train, making it the fastest train on the continent. The lowest fares on the train are still considered business class. Acela's speed is hampered by a number of factors, but it is undeniable that it is a very comfortable train. Find out what our experience was, riding America's version of the TGV.
Trains Are Awesome!
Support us on Patreon: / trainsareawesome
Our Instagram: / tra_channel
Chapters
0:00 Taking Light Rail to BWI
1:45 A Bus from BWI to the Station
3:25 Acela Explained
5:08 Our Train Arrives
5:50 Seat Review
7:37 Toilet Review
8:03 Cafe Review
8:52 Arriving in DC

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

The dome of the Maryland State House at 0:25 is so cool! It's the largest wooden dome in the United States constructed without nails! And it's capped with a lightning rod! The rod was constructed and grounded to the direct specifications of Benjamin Franklin. Having the rod was also a political statement, expressing support for Franklin's theories on protection of public buildings from lightning strikes and the rejection of the opposing theories supported by King George III. The pointed lightning rod atop such an important public building was a powerful symbol of the independence and ingenuity of the then young nation. The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use. Construction for it began in 1772, but it wasn't completed until 1797 due to the Revolutionary War. It served as the capitol building of the Confederation Congress (the country's governing body between 1781 and 1789) in 1783 and 1784, and is where Ratification Day, the formal end of the revolution, took place.

[@Thom-TRA]

Annapolis is a beautiful place, I cannot wait to go back

[@Unclejojo330]

Great video Thom, it’s a shame that the US cannot get there act together for high speed trains. I was a train dispatcher in the 70’s where 1st class trains were never delayed, but now freight trains are given priority, sad😞 The US needs to realize that instead just being dependent on automobiles and the airlines. The interstate highway system killed the passenger trains in the 50’s and 60’s , when passenger trains were king but this was off topic but needed to be said.

[@sejjr79ify]

I agree!!!

[@sejjr79ify]

@@Ok_Thanks Unfortunately.

[@Thom-TRA]

It must be so sad to see your hard work being undone like that. We’ll continue to fight for improvement!

[@sejjr79ify]

Thank you for your hard work

[@edwardmiessner6502]

And now the airports are mostly outdated and outmoded, and the experience of going through security and baggage claim and of the flights themselves are like going through purgatory. Driving? You're likely to encounter highways that are crumbling or unravelling, or meet huge traffic jams at various and sundry times for any reason whatsoever, or having to go through construction zones that seem to hang around forever. The US truly can't get its transportation act together.

[@jg-7780]

Unrelated pro tip for riding MARC: Buy your tickets in 6-packs. A 6-pack of one way tickets from DC to Baltimore costs only $40.50 (or $6.75 per trip) and is good for years (according to the fine print, it is good for 1 year, but according to the app, it's good for 3 years). You can even use Penn Line tickets on the Camden line for equivalent zones, and vice versa.

[@jg-7780]

I had the pleasure of taking the Acela from Baltimore to Boston once. I got the tickets on a special sale, and paid only $39 for the while thing. Going 150mph, albiet briefly, was a blast, and I hope to do it again sometime.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Annapolis is quite charming! It was originally called Providence when settled by the Puritans. It was later called "Anne Arundel's Towne" after the wife of Lord Baltimore, who owned the proprietary colony. Then when Sir Francis Nicholson moved the capital to there from St. Mary's City, he chose to honor Princess Anne of Denmark and Norway, heir to the throne, who became Queen in 1702. I don't blame Marylanders for loving their flag so much and putting it all over the place like on the Baltimore light rail! It's definitely a masterpiece of a flag. While other states put their shield/coat of arms in the middle of the flag, in the case of Maryland...it makes up the WHOLE flag! It's the 17th-century heraldic banner of arms of Cecil, 2nd Baron Baltimore. The black and gold is Lord Baltimore's banner (from his father, George Calvert 1st Baron Baltimore) and is also on the flag of Baltimore (though the Baltimore flag has the Battle Monument in the middle which commemorates the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812), while the red and white is called the Crossland banner and is from his grandmother. During the US Civil War, Marylanders who sided with the Confederacy affiliated with the Crossland banner while those who fought for the Union wore the Lord Baltimore banner. The flag in its present form was first flown in 1880 but wasn't officially adopted as the state flag until 1904.

[@Thom-TRA]

I'd always wondered who Anne Arundel was, and had just assumed Annapolis was named after her. Glad to stand corrected. I am very much against states whose flags are just the seal on a blue background! Go Maryland!

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Have you considered retirement and selling North Korea to the South and coming to the US to be a tour guide for retirement? You'd be a great road trip guide for your kids on a trans US road trip. Make a vid series of it. KJU does the USA.

[@TrainmasterSP-qk2lo]

I recognize that train station at the end of the video! That’s Diridon Train Station, formally Cahill Train Station in San Jose!

[@nathanjiang100]

great video! I actually did a round-trip between NY and DC yesterday on the Acela since I booked the tickets when they were on sale. I also managed to get hold of an upgrade coupon which meant that for $44, I rode from DC to Newark in Acela First Class with the full Starr dinner and Metropolitan lounge experience (and I got a single seat). Definitely had that feeling of exclusivity there!

[@brianhubert8418]

Thanks for sharing another great video. I've always enjoyed the Acela even if I haven't ridden since the pandemic yet. I was on Empire Service 238 last week and it broke down before even leaving Albany-Renssalaer and those groans and grumbles are all too familiar. There was an issue with the brake equipment on the P32AC-DM and mechanical couldn't get it resolved so they had to combine us with 284 into one 10-car train. With just 3,200 horses on the drawbar and 10 amfleets. That solo p32 still managed to get us up 95 mph in the 110 mph MAS zone between ALB and Castleton. I really wish the powers at be would invest in true HSR for the NEC and we could at least get electrification on the Empire Service to make something comparable to the present NEC. Looking forward to the Avelias

[@miked51]

That BWI Acela/Amtrak station must be relatively new. I took the Acela from D.C. to BWI just before Covid and there was nothing but a platform and that airport parking garage. In what seemed the middle of nowhere. I didn't use it to get to BWI but into Baltimore for a Bears/Ravens game and waited almost an hour for an Uber.

[@Thom-TRA]

I didn’t realize it was new! It’s pretty nice

[@miked51]

@@Thom-TRA It would have come in handy when I waited for my Uber. LOL, I thought I was stranded for a minute there but I do love Acela, me being from Chicago you know as well that it is premium rail compared to anything in the midwest. I love Metra but hopefully I'll live to see high speed rail come to our area. Keep up the great work Thom and enjoy D.C.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

Yeah they rebuilt the station a couple years back to renovate the waiting room- it used to be a very brutalist looking concrete thing. I live near BWI station and it's really convenient for getting into DC without 295 traffic. I hate to see the forests disappear but Maryland needs to prioritize TOD and support MARC by getting some high density built around the station on both sides of the tracks.

[@JerrellWoolford]

I did this exact trip back in June when I was visiting family in Maryland on Train 2159 from Baltimore Penn to Washington DC. I've been on various Northeast Regionals but could never justify the extra money for the Acela, especially for the distance between DC and Baltimore. As for the future, we'll be seeing the current sets a while longer as the new sets have been plagued with issues.

[@ktankers]

Thom, thanks for the video. Interesting, you have the notion that many folks have that Acela is expensive. It can be, especially if you are trying to travel on peak business travel times. However, as a frequent traveler from DC to NYC and back, I've sometimes found an inversion if you will between Regional and Acela prices. Sometimes it's just cheaper, so you should always look at the fares. And then there are the sales like Amtrak had for Acela earlier this summer, $49 one way DC to NYC. Best of all, since Amtrak finally after twenty years figured out how to do reserved seats on Acela, you don't face the cattle stampede in New York to get a seat like you do for non-assigned seat Regional trains.

[@alexlorenz4103]

I think for you to get a full experience, ride the Acela from DC to New York, or all the way to Boston

[@Thom-TRA]

Not happening for a while, way too expensive when I can take the regional for just $10 or $20.

[@SuperDave30]

Amtrak Acela is very unique train also serves as commuter rail service as well, I hope you amazing train ride my guy! 😊

[@EpicThe112]

If you want to go 240 kilometers per hour which itself is 5 mph 10 kmh faster than a railjet you are looking at the Acela Boston to Providence Brown University Station & the 260 kmh 160 mph section Trenton to New Brunswick. Had the United States gotten the help of West Germany and Austria you would have seen all four tracks of the Northeast Corridor having cables on the track. That meant Linienzugbeeinflussung LZB signals

[@alogan7951]

Love the look of this train. And trains with cafe car are the best!😊

[@Thom-TRA]

If you get a chance, try the Asian noodle bowl on Amtrak. It’s the best thing on the menu!

[@larsgundersen4748]

I am so glad I "stumbled" across your channel! Being European, I highly appreciate your European-American perspective! And your passion for the topic shows in a very positive way! Keep up the good work!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you so much for this generosity! I will continue to make content! Up on Saturday, I will try out New York’s newest subway trains!

[@jammes122]

Great video as usual! Glad you got to see Annapolis - such a lovely town. The DC area is my old stomping grounds. I used to take the Northeast Regional from New Carrollton to NYC all the time. You probably already know this, but the tunnel section in Baltimore right before Penn Station is over 150 years old and is the biggest bottleneck on the whole northeast corridor because the S-curve design requires trains to slow down to 30mph. Pre-construction is finally about to begin on the replacement tunnels and I believe they’re being designed with true high speed rail in mind.

[@Thom-TRA]

The new tunnels will be an absolute game changer

[@chadamtrakrailfan]

Awesome report on your first Acela trip, Thom! I enjoyed it. I've never been on one either, but I appreciate the content about it. Looking forward to the upcoming Amtrak content coming soon as described at the end of the video (as well from the video a few weeks ago as well).

[@kr46428]

For a lot of the US, I would be okay with "high speed" in quotes if it means that a train exists and you can get tickets on it. Hopefully we can get there.

[@tmcb_]

Looking forward to a video of you you taking a full-length Acela trip...

[@Thom-TRA]

That won’t happen for a long time, I’m a student and there are many other ways I’d prefer to spend my hard-earned money

[@paulthiel5145]

​@@Thom-TRAWhy don't you setup a Patreon channel and let the membership pay for those kind of trips? Many other youtubers do it that way 🤔

[@Thom-TRA]

@@paulthiel5145 I do have a patreon. I’d just much rather spend my money doing more things and going new places than paying for one ticket that I find way too expensive.

[@tmcb_]

@@Thom-TRA Makes sense, I didn't realize you were a student. Thanks for the response...really enjoy your videos. I lived in Chicago for many years before moving back South recently, so your Chicago content got me engaged.

[@robertschaefer3223]

Maybe the doors on the overhead bins are to keep stuff from flying out on real high speed turns?

[@tiago58]

Acela, like Brightline and SAPSAN (Moscow to St. Petersburg) are in fact MEDIUM SPEED TRAINS since they operate with max speeds up to 250 km/h. TGV, Fuxing, Shinkansen, Eurostar, AVE, ICE 3, Thalys, FrecciaRossa are real HIGH SPEED TRAINS because they operate with max speeds from 250 to 350 km/h.

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for this great video ! I really like the Adela trains, and have been fortunate to ride on them many times. You are quite right in that Amtrak should promote the exclusivity and comfort of these trains, for that is where they excel. It is a shame that there is not yet a dedicated high speed line in the North East, but the Acelas do ride very well when running at 150mph ! I agree the Amfleet 1 cars in use on the North East Regionals are also very good, especially since they were refurbished with really comfortable leather seats. The Siemens Venture cars are not in the same league for comfort, so savour the Amfleet cars whilst you can !

[@michaelformaini7053]

What a bummer! First ride on Acela and it breaks down (temporarily, mercifully). At least it gave you opportunity to have a wander and check out the features without being bounced about. Wasn't sure about your seat comfort with that initial grimace (did you sit on something sharp?). Looks like you and Lindsay had a great day out anyway. Thanks for sharing your experiences.🙂🙂🙂

[@joserivera-yc5rr]

Always enjoy your videos, take care

[@lennardrazor2172]

Hey I always wanted to know why US rail stations were based off of low platforms! Can you make a video about the low platforms.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s because freight trains claim they can’t work with high platforms

[@rikkichunn8856]

Thom is right. In the US, freight cars are actually wider than passenger cars (unlike in Europe), so high platforms would hit the wide freight cars as they pass by. Chicago's South Shore Line solves this problem by having the freight trains take a little switch to slide over to avoid hitting the high platforms. Then they have to protect the arrangement with full interlocking signals. The old Chicago Aurora & Elgin had an even more awkward solution. Freight ran at night, passenger trains in the daytime. The edges of their high platforms were hinged. So, on the last passenger train of the evening, the conductor had a long pole to flip the platform edge up. In the morning, the process was reversed. Bet they loved having to do that!

[@MarioFanGamer659]

@@rikkichunn8856 It should be noted that even within Europe, the loading gauge of freight trains only safely allows for a platform height of up to 780mm and higher platforms are only seen in the UK (which has its own loading gauge) as well as on isolated systems like the RER or a 1st/2nd gen S-Bahn (there also are efforts of standardisation for intercity trains and the relatively low is presumably chosen for the same reason). Don't disagree that American freight trains are a bit wider, though.

[@drdewott9154]

Honestly I think the biggest detriment to the Acela is the fact its a "luxury" train. It is the worlds only high speed train without economy class, which isnt doing it any favours. First class only express trains were a practise that railways in Europe basically eradicated immediately upon the introduction of high speed trains, since it wouldn't just be speed, but ease of access too that were important for getting people onboard, which in turn gained more political support to improve the high speed trains and build more infrastructure. I bet if the Acela had economy class cars, that it would be MUCH more popular than the Northeast Regional, even in its current state with marginally better travel time, which in turn would encourage politicians to invest more in the rail corridor to improve speeds, making the rail service even more popular, and potentially a trendsetter for more of the US. But alas thats not the route Amtrak is going down, instead keeping the service as a shuttle for the rich.

[@amfm889]

Interesting points!

[@rikkichunn8856]

Very informative video, Thom and Lindsey! Being a West Coast railfan girl, I've been curious what the Acela was all about. And you've answered all my questions for a lot less than the price of a ticket. Thanks again!

[@SD45-ET44AC]

Thanks for sharing your trip!

[@Thom-TRA]

Of course!

[@d.lam.8178]

So I know where the delays started as I was on there from Boston to Philly. Slow orders and track work all the way from Mystic to New Rochelle really did it. We made up a bit of time heading into 30th street, but not by that much. As for those noises? I'm not entirely sure it was the train, but there were some similar groans that I thought might be the brakes coming on from the time we left Boston earlier in the day.

[@rikkichunn8856]

Maybe the groans were Halloween ghosts riding the trains?😁

[@christopherbuckley94]

About a year and a half ago, I went from Metropark in NJ all they way up to Boston, MA (and back). All of the seats in first class were not sold, so they offered an opportunity to bid on an upgrade. I put the lowest amount allowed and I got the seats both ways. The main advantage is a little better seat and "free" food and beverages, plus access to the lounge where available. The lounge in Boston was OK. I think you can get a beer with your meal. An interesting ride, but I don't think that I would upgrade in the future. The ride to Boston was on time. The southbound ride had an hour and half delay.

[@nixcails]

The Acela suffers from the same problems the TGV, Talgo and ICE trains had before the designated fast exclusive lines (LGV's) were built capable of higher speed than track or signalling allows.

[@Railfan166]

What’s funny is that I’m thinking about buying the mini Acela Express wooden train 🤣🤣🤣

[@Thom-TRA]

You should!

[@patrickpirzer4080]

As i've heard last week, Acela has problems with cargo trains on the same track. The french have no experience with this because in France the TGV has its dedicated tracks. And the phrase "We apologize the delay" - i know it so well from Deutsche Bahn.

[@MilesinTransit]

How late was the arrival into DC, out of curiosity? Last time I took Acela, we were two hours late and they randomly deposited 5,000 Guest Rewards points into my account as an apology! I think it only happens on the Acela, but I'm not sure what the lateness threshold is for them to do that. Great video!

[@Thom-TRA]

The final delay was 3 hours 5 minutes. Sadly did not get those points…

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

Threshold is maybe 40 to 45 minutes? ~46 min delay, Acela, Jul 2023: 1K points ~55 min delay, NE Regional, Feb 2024: 250 points ~1h 20 min delay, NE Regional, Feb 2024: also 250 points None for Vermonter or Palmetto delays of a similar length

[@londonwhaley8690]

I enjoyed the video👍👍

[@maas1208]

Have you heard about Crossrail Chicago?

[@miked51]

You should do a video on the major stations in the U.S. I have been through a majority of them and They all have a similar feel to my homebase of Chicago's Union Station. So many Union Stations and on the east coast two Penn Stations only a river apart that actually connect. NJ, NYC.✌

[@Thom-TRA]

Great idea!

[@timnewman1172]

Union Station in D.C. is an absolute treasure! I would love to ride to NYC just to see Moynihan Train Hall! I have been to Union Station in Vancouver, B.C. as a teen, great time to see it...

[@HGM19922]

Nice, P.S. The Pacific Surfliner's new business class seats are from the Acela ;), they got the seats back in 2021.

[@daveinthewildOG]

You essentially are able to highlight over and over again the successes of rail throughout this country. And I appreciate that. It does seem when they build it, mostly, they will come. But there certainly is no doubt that infrastructure is very expensive and particularly redoing entire areas where old fashioned train technology existed is even more expensive. But based on its success I can see there are people everywhere who need to use a train to get around. More of that would be a good thing for our country.

[@JRNY07]

Great video! Wish this country would get those tracks updated so the Acelas could run faster. Would you ever consider doing a video on the new Brightline trains in Florida? I don't know when they're actually going to be open. It seems like they keep delaying ticketing. I don't know what is going on down there aside from endless testing, testing and more testing. :)

[@Thom-TRA]

I will probably go down there. But I just saw that they pushed back their opening day again. Not really worth the financial risk of buying opening day tickets.

[@jjstevens9261]

"...truly no one does comfort better than Amtrak," verily verdad!

[@1stAgent]

Ha! On my DC trip a month ago I did the same thing for the same reason, taking the Acela to BWI just for the experience. Wish I could have taken the Northeast Regional for comparison (MARC fit my schedule better getting into DC) but it was nice to try it out, if only briefly.

[@paulcastillo1310]

Great video

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@mmrw]

Well that’s not a very good introduction to Acela lol! I’ve ridden it a few times and I’ve always liked it. I don’t really care whether it’s “high speed” or not, I just see it as a way to get between northeast corridor cities in a more comfortable and faster way

[@kenpalmer1965]

Another nice video Thom! I sure would like to ride this one if I'm ever either in Washington, D.C. or in Baltimore, M.D. It sure did look very comfortable indeed. Yeah, it does have that airline configuration inside! I love the way they label the seats with the aisle and window lettering just like on airplanes as I said. What is the absolute longest length of the Acela route that you can ride? Do Acela trains by chance have sleeper cars on them as do the regular Amtrak trains that travel across the country? Just curious. Their cafe cars look very nice too! Does Acela travel to other states like the regular Amtrak trains? I hope I'm not asking too many questions for you. Thanks again for the video! Great work!

[@user-ir2bc2kz6t]

I watch a lot of train/rail fanning channels but I absolutely love your channel and the way you explain everything,great job

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m so glad! Thank you!

[@tf_9047]

Funny enough, $8 isn't the cheapest that route can go. I did a few hour advance from Baltimore Penn to DC for only $5 just a month ago.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m sure it all has to do with the demand for each trip

[@jackwtat]

I'm a regular commuter on the Acela! I usually ride between BOS and NYP. You're right in that I pay the premium mostly for the exclusivity, but the ability to select my own seat is also nice.

[@TBTboston]

Great video! I actually took the Acela 2159 to Baltimore about a month ago. wonder if we were on the same train just on different parts. Keep up the great work!

[@Thom-TRA]

This was on July 3rd! When was your trip?

[@TBTboston]

@@Thom-TRA i went on the 8th so a week later

[@CrabMan2539]

5:07 Ooo you got a horn show! Those don't regularly happen especially like that. The acela K5LA is my 2nd favorite horn (2nd to the aem-7 one which I still miss dearly. I grew up with those)

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks, random lady standing too close to the edge of the platform!

[@CrabMan2539]

@@Thom-TRA Ah that would make sense hah.

[@jameskerner7782]

I.m taking the Acela on the 16th from Moynihan to DC..

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

When I took the Acela from DC to Newark I had a great trip. It was very accelerating. Looks like you and Lindsey got the Decela. It's a great trip to Boston. Well worth it.

[@sneakerjockCA]

Whew. I was relived by the sneaker choice 🤣

[@Thom-TRA]

Glad it’s approved

[@leanneneville2431]

Enjoyed that. Was wondering if you knew the seat numbers for the “conference tables” for a family of four so we could sit together. I have only found a first class map. Thanks , looking to do a trip later this year on Adela. Hi from Australia 🦘

[@Thom-TRA]

You might try seats 4A, 4C, 5A, 5C or 8A, 8C, 9A, 9C or 12D, 12,F, 13D, 13F or 14D, 14F, 15D, 15F. That’s what I can find online.

[@ByzantineCalvinist]

I wish we had something like the Acela in Canada. We have the Windsor to Québec corridor, but its population density is not even close to the northeast corridor's. Thus we probably wouldn't warrant anything similar. Incidentally, as you may know, Washington Union Station was designed by Daniel Burnham, one of the planners of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, who published his 1909 Plan of Chicago in imitation of Napoleon III's and Baron Haussmann's Paris. Impressive-looking building, which I saw close to 20 years ago. I believe it had recently been renovated.

[@RichardChonak]

Isn't it a little disappointing that the Acela train arrives with the same ringing bell as any old Amtrak train? These things need a Euro-style musical sounder. And when there's a breakdown, they can replace it with a banjo riff.

[@steve1reg]

Enjoyed the ride! But there's only 3 tracks at BWI? I thought it was 4 tracks from Boston to Washington except in NYC where Amtrak has its own tracks.

[@Thom-TRA]

Most of it is 3, sometimes just 2. In New Jersey it can be up to 6!

[@pigbearcub]

4 tracks was the standard under the old Pennsylvania railroad. It went down from 4 tracks to 2 when using bridges to cross over rivers. When Amtrak took over the Pennsylvania railroad passenger service and Conrail the freight service, they eliminated the 4th track along the route and went down to only 3 rails. Have no idea why. Maybe for cost reasons? 2 tracks for mainline operations and the 3rd for slower commuter rail, like Marta, Septa, NJ rail etc. ?

[@JeffersonLeeEng]

I had the opportunity to ride Acela round trip over this past Easter weekend from Philly to Boston and I liked the "High-Speed" rail attributes although there were some slowdowns due to signal problems in MBTA territory (northbound) and high volume on the tracks in New Jersey (southbound). The crew change in New York City makes Acela service seem like a tale of two legs, though...

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah I’m sure the stop in NY is pretty long…

[@JeffersonLeeEng]

@@Thom-TRA It's not that bad considering there's assigned seating for all passengers throughout. The one good thing is that all Acela train sets are pretty much in a standard configuration--one first class car, four business class cars, and a cafe car--so it mostly takes the guesswork out of boarding and finding seats. I preferred sitting at a table riding forward.

[@CameronLandels]

Thanks for the video Thom! Am pleased you enjoyed the short trip. I'm looking forward to seeing the new Avelia Liberty trains come into service next year. I've never been on the Acela but I hope to one day.

[@UncleAl3]

Thank you for featuring a high speed rail in the U.S. We need more of this type of transit. I used high speed rail in China, on dedicated tracks, smooth and speedy ride, arriving in clean, smokeless, quiet stations. Have you used any high speed trains in asia?

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, I lived in Japan for 10 years

[@tsepheletseka5115]

I've always been confused as to why they decided to have it using the regular railway lines instead building a dedicated high speed line for it like they do with the HSTs in Europe and Asia. It is a shame they took that route because the train will never be able to perform at its full capability as a high speed train. Can you imagine going 150mph all the way from Washington DC to Boston, and vice versa. Though the high speed trains in Europe and Asia are much much faster, 150mph is still pretty fast for a train. Here in South Africa we can only boast 100mph for our fastest train, the Gautrain, which is a commuter that runs between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and is based on the old school British high speed trains in its design. I do hope the issues plaguing the California High Speed Railway are resolved so it can be completed timeously and at give the US another high speed train it can be proud of. And at least it will be running on its own dedicated high speed line which will enable it to run at the 200+mph it's projected to run at, so that will be a huge plus.

[@amfm889]

@tsepheletseka5115 The answer to why there's no dedicated track usually comes down to: no space to build it. (Also, the huge cost of doing so.) Unlike the building of the Interstate Highway System, in which the government took land through imminent domain. The California HSR project is being built similar to the Interstates. Very expensive, controversial (if it's your land their buying). If anyone can build HSR, it will be the private sector.

[@ctempleton3]

I want to ride on the North East Corridor one day.

[@pinchy08]

Someday I might ride the Acela from Washington DC to Baltimore and back. Or go Acela one way. Regional the other way. I’ve gotta take a chance to ride this high speed train once. Or at least one last time before it’s retired and replaced by the new Avelia Liberty. You looking forward to Avalia Liberty?

[@Thom-TRA]

Looking forward, but not holding my breath

[@pinchy08]

Yea. Don’t hold your breath. The Avalia Library is taking a very long time to be certified for passenger revenue service. If you ever heard of Brightline trains here in Florida we’re I live right now they only travel from West Palm Beach to Miami. For many years they’ve been working on an extension that terminates at Orlando Airport. Service to Orlando was supposed to begin September 1. But got canceled. Still waiting for FRA and PTC certification. Push backs for new services or model train and plane releases getting pushed back make me so frustrated.

[@erik_griswold]

Lintithicum! Origin of the term “Loot Rail”!!

[@tokugawa12able]

Great Job, Thom, and candid as always. Lindsey is a worthy partner. Congratulations and thank her for coming along. Perhaps she can narrate one in the future.

[@Thom-TRA]

Lindsey is the best. It’s our anniversary weekend.

[@johnhaynes710]

Hi Tom, great video. Yes I agree it is a shame the US can’t get their act together as regards, High speed trains. Here in the UK, we used to have High speed trains; however, since the standard has gone up to 150 mph. We no longer qualify apart from the Eurostar. Disgraceful really.

[@thetransitspotter]

Nice review on the Acela! I’ve never been on it but at some point I want to ride it

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks! Hopefully someday!

[@erichhouchens3711]

One thing I noticed in your video was the very delayed southbound trains on the departure board at BWI. There are several probable reasons for this - During the summer Amtrak has to impose speed restrictions due to high heat. This is due to stress on the rails and the old 1930's PRR variable tension catenary that can sag in the heat. Another reason is the aging infrastructure along the NEC which leads to switch, track, catenary or signal failures. Amtrak does not get the kind of funding that say SNCF, NS or DB gets. One last problem is that the NEC is largely unfenced. Trespassers coming into contact with high speed trains frequently gets spread some distance along the tracks resulting in a shutdown until things are ... cleaned up. I did see two trains with the same departure time so it looks like two trains got combined. This happens when one train has to pickup the passengers from another train due to a breakdown or a trespasser strike. As a former Train Dispatcher for Amtrak (CTEC - Philadelphia) I saw things like this happen all the time.

[@Thom-TRA]

I believe the delay in this case was due to a track issue in New Jersey

[@Canleaf08]

4:03 aren't the passenger cars based off the Canadian LRC?

[@AT-nq6cu]

Hi Thom, it would be nice if the Airport in Baltimore had a train station on site instead of taking the bus to it. Great video.

[@Thom-TRA]

That would cause unnecessary delays as the line would have to be rerouted. The bus takes 5 minutes. Since people flying are already prepared to spend a lot of time in preparation, it really is not a huge deal in my opinion.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

@@Thom-TRA Agreed, the bus is pretty frequent in my experience (10 minutes or so, usually timed to sync with train arrivals). If the light rail ever gets expanded, BWI could be an alternate terminal for a new branch that goes to the train station, on through the woods to the rental car facility, and then on to Arundel Mills which is a car-clogged mess that really needs more transit than the 75 Bus. (Seriously I live near there and I avoid the mall because the traffic is so frustrating). And then it could turn to get to Dorsey station and hopefully coincide with improvements to the Camden Line.

[@history_leisure]

8:20 I went to the cafe car on my TGV from Lyon to Marseille, but not my trip on ICE (Frankfurt Airport-Offenburg) or my AVE trips (Madrid-Barcelona, taking Avelo one way; Madrid-Zaragoza [day trip], and Madrid-Seville), and I do see the resemblance-although looking out at the French countryside near Grenoble hits different

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I think that those ACELA's look a bit like the original Eurostar sets but the ACELA locomotive is separate from the carriage whereas with the Eurostar the loco shares a bogie with the carriage behind or in front.

[@Thom-TRA]

I don’t really understand why they went with different manufacturers for the different parts of the train.

[@daniellewis1789]

​@@Thom-TRACost. Amtrak at the time was desperately short of money and wanted to get the best available tech at a lower price. The Alstom passenger cars available didn't tilt.

[@jfmezei]

Acela had no manufacturing presence in USA at the time the heavy Acela contract was awarded in 1996. Alstom (then GEC Alsthom) purchased the old American Passenger Rail Car Company in Hornell in 1997. Prior to this, GEC Alsthom had sold a licence to Bombardier for north american rights to the TGV trains. The heavy Acela were built by Bombardier in Barrie Vermont and Plattsburgh NY using this licence. However the FRA imposition on heavy trains for heavy rail means that the Acelas in service today have little if any in common with a real TGV. Custom designed low volume train made from components coming from USA manufacturers with little rail experience. It is possible that the locomotive power and motor systems came from Alstom, but the rest is all done by Bombardier with strict "made in USA" specifications. It was Bombardier who was slated to do the maintenance of the trains for long time (lawsuit resulted in Amtrak winning and doing the maintenance themselves since 2004). In late 2018, FRA agreed to relax its "must be heavy and old" rules to allow the new Avelia Liberty trains in the USA with conditions. For the first time since the Turbo train in the 1960s, a light aluminium train would be made in the USA. (LRC briefly ran with Amtrak but was made in Canada, and the first Talgos for Seatle-Vancouver were modern aluminium but made in Spain - second generation made in USA and heavy steel). The odd shape of the Avelia Liberty loco and rail cars is due to lack of high speed rails. The cars are actually from Pendolino model (with tilting) while the loco from the brand new Avelia Horizon (TGV-M) designed for duplex TGV cars. Tilting never used on real high speed trains (with urpose built tracks). Tilting has been a hit and miss in terms of making peope sick in cars (delay between feeling curve and car tilting). Each car will have precise track geometry database for the route and precise location of train, and can start to tilt before entering a curve it knows is coming. Whether this ends up being good and reliable remains to be seen. BTW, for heavy Acela, the most important factor in it's appearing to be faster than Regional is simply the fewer stops aspects. There are very limited sections of rail where a higher speed limits allows heavy Acela to exceed the 200kmh speed limit for the regionals. And that won't change with the new Avelia Liberty trains, and the bigger question is whether Alstom will have added fancy suspension for a train designed to run on smooth rails.

[@CrabMan2539]

The acela also has priority over NER trains. I was once held at 30th street station for about half an hour for an acela to come in, board and deboard passengers, and leave.

[@Zyir626]

Hello Thom I really Enjoyed ur video featuring the Acela and I also really enjoyed hearing the K5LA Airhorn upon Arrival. Oh and Also i caught Acela 2159 aka ur train earlier in the day that you recorded this he gave me nice hornshow

[@Thom-TRA]

Can’t believe you saw the same train!

[@amfm889]

Did you find out what the delay was?

[@Cupertinorail]

Maybe by the time I ride it, the new vehicles will be in service

[@johnhaynes710]

I wonder what you are comparing when you say no one does comfort like a track. I haven’t been on a track yet so I can’t make the comparison. I look forward to doing it though.

[@Thom-TRA]

Of all the trains I’ve ridden around the world, Amtrak has consistently had the most comfortable standard class seats

[@alexisdespland4939]

are the late new trains going to replace the acela .

[@JeffersonLeeEng]

Supposedly they're branded as "Acela 2"

[@Thom-TRA]

Eventually, though I’m not holding my breath

[@ztl2505]

BWI was also where I finally got to try the Acela. Looks much better now that the renovations are finished. I lucked out and took a trip in ‘21 when ridership was still super low and managed a round trip to Boston for $160.

[@Thom-TRA]

That’s an amazing deal

[@johnalder6028]

Great report. Back in the day when passenger trains had priority the railroads had multi track mainlines instead of single or double track so they could keep those trains moving.

[@scrappytracy5557]

Is this why you moved to DC, access to the Acela?! 😀

[@Thom-TRA]

One of many reasons haha

[@tommyvercettygt]

4:21 why those chinese tuned on you so badly lol

[@michaelb9629]

I’ve never rode the Acela yet but I still want to. Depending on how long it takes, I may have to ride in one of the newer trains just because I’d have a better chance of that once there’s more of them.

[@WYDAVIATION]

i think planes are better but i do love trains too

[@FrenchLeafA350]

“Acela Airlines” The Spirit airlines of Trains

[@Intrusive_Thought176]

So it's really good?

[@superiorjr154]

Spirit airlines is terrible. Amtrak is better

[@FrenchLeafA350]

Correction: The Spirit Airlines of High speed trains

[@nashorn9745]

Amtrak is always complaining about not having enough money. But then they replace the trains after 20 years in Europe they would run for an other 20 years at least. Buying new trains won’t solve your problems.

[@Thom-TRA]

A few things: Amtrak does not complain that they are underfunded, they *are* drastically underfunded. As for the age of vehicles: -Superliners are almost 50 years old -Amfleets are almost 50 years old -Horizons are 35 years old -Viewliners are 30 years old -Genesis locomotives are 30 years old -California cars are almost 30 years old With exception of the new Siemens equipment, and the new Viewliner, both which represent a tiny fraction of the total fleet, the Acela is the newest train. Compare that with the SBB, or NS. There are some European countries like Portugal that keep extending the lives of their stock, but let’s not act like that’s the norm. Nobody who has ever ridden Amtrak has said: wow, these trains are so new and modern, what a waste of money. Amtrak is in desperate need of new trains, to boost their image and make their fleet more reliable.

[@nashorn9745]

@@Thom-TRA i don't say they don't need new trains but why are they replacing their newest trains you should replace your oldest or trains that don't feature level boarding. And SBB has some old trains to, their normal Intercity cars are somewhere between 35 and 45 years old RE420 engines are somewhere between 40 and 50 years old and until 2020 they had E 1 and E 2 cars, they were about 60 years old when they retired the only thing SBB ever did to them was giving them new automatic doors they had no ac and featured an open toilet system with a pipe that was going directly to the tracks. But their ride quality was much better than the flirts we now have. The Acela has verry good comfort only faster speeds will attract new customers and for that they have to upgrade the track and not the trains. All European rail operators are giving trains that are 20 years old an overhaul not replacing them then running them until they are 30-50 years old. Some even 50-70 years.

[@MarioFanGamer659]

@@nashorn9745 The difference is that the Acela aged much faster than these trains you mentioned since the trains today suffer mechanical problems, sometimes even instances of the otherwise fixed coupling losening themselves. On top of that, spare parts for them are hard to get by to the point and some of the trains have to scraped just to get some extra parts. Normally, trains do last for longer but sometimes it is just better to retire them young. The ICE TD (a DMU of the electric ICE T) is another train which lasted for only 20 years thanks for having a limited nieche and being expensive to operate (unelectrified intercity lines when many major lines were already electrified back then, hence why service to Denmark were one of the last lines they ever served).

[@acelakid94]

7:46 As someone who services them after a trip, I know _exactly_ what you mean. 😒

[@Thom-TRA]

Oooof. Thank you for your service. You are a hero.

[@acelakid94]

@@Thom-TRA People never get to see the mechanical team that keep the trains running, but always get to experience the fruits of our labor by riding a clean, functioning train. It can be a lot of hard work, so your thanks is appreciated. 👍🏽

[@Cupertinorail]

MARC HHP8s are the last of their kind

[@NdaKeekz]

Acela is more comfortable than the regional train, but for the distance traveled the MARC would've sufficed.

[@Thom-TRA]

The point was to ride the Acela for fun

[@NdaKeekz]

@@Thom-TRA I noticed once I watched the entire video. If you ever happen to come across a deal to run to at least Wilmington on the Acela, you should definitely do it to get an idea of the difference in rides between the regional and Acela.

[@Thom-TRA]

Commenting after you watch the video is usually more productive

[@NdaKeekz]

@Thom-TRA confirmed...you are the asshole that you look like. Thanks 👍

[@Thom-TRA]

I mean your profile pic is literally a middle finger. Looks like you dish it out but you can’t take it. Make stupid comments, expect stupid responses.

[@alexisdespland4939]

they should trreroute the nec to go under the terminal at bwi.

[@Thom-TRA]

That won’t happen. The bus also isn’t that much of a hassle.

[@alexisdespland4939]

not true if you are either a big group of poeople or have lots of luggae or baby stroller. or well chair.@@Thom-TRA

[@Thom-TRA]

@@alexisdespland4939 the bus stops in front of the station and in front of the terminal. There are people there to help you, wheelchair spaces, and luggage racks. They will never, ever spend the billions of dollars to realign a 100+ year old line to serve a small airport.

[@kemperlewis7139]

Nice video, me and my wife were at BWI rail station just Wednesday to take the MARC train to DC and while we were waiting at the southbound platform two Acela trains at different times flew by at full speed, one on the southbound outer track and one on the southbound middle track, the wind created by them was tremendous.

[@Thom-TRA]

I bet that was impressive

[@carlsmith5545]

Wow kid, you like that train ride? Wanna ride a real train? I hope to go to Japan next year, wanna go? Lol!!! That acela train should be traveling at speeds of up to 225 plus mph and should cover the entire United States Eastern seaboard from Boston Massachusetts to Jacksonville Florida stopping in one city in each state it travels through. Amtrak needs to build new tracks the covers the entire eastern seaboard. Hell they already have the bullets and new bullets that are sitting around in some rail yard somewhere. This east coast line would be called, The United States Atlantic bullet line. Im not even going to mention maglev super train technology which is far above the american grade. These trains run on magnetic levitation and can travel at speeds of up to 375 mph now under construction between Tokyo and Nagoya and then continuing on to Osaka (Japan) ofcourse. Hopefully they will succeed in the construction work of the California highspeed rail project. These trains will be expected to travel at speeds of up to 200 to 225 mph. This will be the very first true highspeed bullet train in the United States of America which is something the mighty United States of America should of had decades ago. We will see. Highspeed bullet trains and maglev super train technology, the new american dream...

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s so funny you think I’m a kid and I don’t know about fast trains. Do you know where I was when I was a kid? Living in Japan for 10 years, riding the bullet trains. I experienced them decades before you ever will.

[@ck4426]

That’s awesome you two were able to take a ride on the Acela and mark it off your list. Awesome!!!

[@TrainmasterSP-qk2lo]

Cool video! Thanks for taking us along, and yes, there are some similarities between the Acela and the Pacific Surfliner, which is what I ride!

[@superiorjr154]

How old are you?

[@joemotes]

Thom, thank you for this video, Acela has been on my bucket list for a while, I actually own the HO scale train set. I have already been on the second fast train down here in South Florida, Brightline, speed is 79 MPH, in the next few months they will start the WPB to Orlando, averaging 125 MPH.

[@GamersDelight4541]

you forgot the new Florida high speed train that opened last month i believe. Miami to Orlando. It's up to 125mph, If you consider that high speed. The U.S is just to big to have such large high speed trains. Amtrak always operates at a loss, And any new high speed track would cost a million dollars a mile.

[@Thom-TRA]

The Brightline, which did not open last month, is not a high speed train. And the USA is not too big for High speed rail. Nobody travels from NY to LA every day. Lots of people travel medium distances, like NY to Philly or LA to Las Vegas. There are tons of city pairs that are the perfect distance for high speed rail. Saying America is too big is just a false statement.

[@GamersDelight4541]

@@Thom-TRA 3000 miles wide, it's unlikely we will ever have a high speed train from coast to coast. It's simply not economical. Amtrak is operating at a loss, it's expensive, and Brightline is operating privately. I would love to see rail over planes. Sadly airlines control the market, with the government in their pockets. All of the track removed in the 70's and 80's shouldn't have happened. The Auto industry sold us out in the 20's and 30's as well. The Auto industry bought up most trolly companies and removed them in place of car's. Our whole country is a sell out.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@GamersDelight4541 I have almost never a point fly over someone’s head as high as mine just flew over yours. Maybe try reading my comment again before you respond. I literally said we don’t need coast to coast HSR. Good luck.

[@GamersDelight4541]

@@Thom-TRA you really are childish, try growing up. You obviously don't know much about trains in the United States.

[@FFred-us9tw]

@@Thom-TRA by the definition of what high-speed rail is, the Brightline does in fact classify as HSR. “Speeds of 125 mph or greater on improved tracks” is high speed rail. and that high speed service is new, which is what he meant by that statement.

[@benjaminfriedman9107]

The avelias should hopefully be able to run faster with better tilting tech but they have been delayed for years. I took the acela to Boston it feels premium but dated but if you go between Hartford and providence the views through the massive windows are amazing granted that part is really slow but it's also the most beautiful section on the nec