All were off the roster by 2003.)įor interior amenities the trains would include phone and fax availability (today, Wi-Fi and laptop jacks are standard). ( In their final years they were dubbed E60MA's, having been rebuilt several times to eliminate mechanical issues.
The new trains would bump its fleet of AEM-7's to other assignments and retire General Electric's aging E-60's. The Pennsylvania Railroad electrified its 226-mile Washington-New York corridor in 1935.) ( The New York, New Haven & Hartford energized its 72-mile section from New Haven to New York in 1914 with the final component into Pennsylvania Station completed in 1917. Only later, between 19, were sections electrified. Its purpose was two-fold provide a smoother ride and allow the trains to operate at higher speeds. They also included tilting technology, a concept not needed for the TGV but required along the NEC due to its many curves (a result of its 19th century construction). It was decided the trains would be six car sets capable of seating 345 passengers. Then-president David Gunn stated in the December 2003/January 2004 issue of Mass Transit Magazine Amtrak would have rather purchased Sweden's X2000. As mentioned, the Acela's proved a mechanical and maintenance nightmare. Awarding Alstom/Bombardier the contract was somewhat interesting considering Sweden's X2000 had received the highest marks from those within Amtrak's ranks. Today, it regularly travels at speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h). These two corporations had teamed up to manufacture one of the world's most highly regarded high-speed trains, the French TGV (" Train à Grande Vitesse," or "high-speed train"), which launched in 1981 between Paris and Lyon. The trainsets were to be built by the Bombardier Transit Corporation of Canada, in conjunction with GEC-Alstom of France according to an Amtrak news conference held at historic Washington Union Station on March 15th that year (headed by Vice President Al Gore). In its June, 1996 issue, Trains Magazine broke the news regarding Amtrak's new service, what was then dubbed the " American Flyer." Other Amtrak ServicesĪn Overview Of Amtrak's Services Auto Train Turboliner TurboTrain In the midst of this it continued efforts to reequip the Northeast Corridor. Its 25-year contract signed with the railroads in 1971 (enabling it to use their tracks) was set to expire in 1996 while it had to renegotiate labor contracts with fourteen different unions between 19.ĭue to its financial issues, the railroad was forced to cut certain routes and lay off employees. This event coincided with further financial troubles. That December a new president was named, Thomas M.
Following the P32BH's arrival, Amtrak began testing high speed trainsets to upgrade service along the Northeast Corridor.Īccording to the book, " Amtrak" by author Brian Solomon, it tested Sweden's X2000 in 1992 which was followed by Germany's Intercity City Express ( ICE Train) in 1993. Finally, the P42DC's were added between 19. Then a group of P32AC-DMs were purchased in 1995 through 1998. The first was the Dash 8-32BWH model in 1991 followed by the P40-8 in 1993/1994. It was predominantly diesels from General Electric, the so-called "Genesis" series. This was one major factor in why the railroad acquired new motive power for the first time in fifteen years. In 1993 it was covering 79% of its total operating costs, a jump of 26% since 1982. Under the strong leadership of William Graham Claytor Jr, Amtrak was seeing its most profitable era by the early 1990's. In this article, we look at the history of the Acela Express. Thanks to its comfortable ride, on-board accommodations, and fast speeds the Acela is Amtrak's most popular service. Unfortunately, the originals have been plagued with numerous mechanical issues although this has not dampened the public's enthusiasm.
Both have extensive backgrounds in the high-speed arena and Alstom has been tapped to build the next generation of Acela's which are slated to enter service by 2021/2022.