Why is the Acela so slow?

The Acela's speed is limited by traffic and infrastructure on the route's northern half. On the 231-mile (372 km) section from Boston's South Station to New York's Penn Station, the fastest scheduled time is 3 hours and 30 minutes, or an average speed of 66 miles per hour (106 km/h).



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On top of that, the current layout doesn't suit high-speed trains, as it's packed with sharp turns, old tunnels, overhead power lines and crumbling bridges that can all slow down the trains. In contrast, high speed routes in countries like Japan and Germany run their fastest trains on specially constructed tracks.

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In the coming years, Amtrak will invest over $50 billion into modern trains, enhanced stations and facilities, new tunnels and bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades. These generational investments mean we're no longer only a passenger rail operator.

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Longer Trip Times It's typically faster to travel by plane than by train, especially when your destination is across the country. A three-hour flight might be two nights on a train.

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In fiscal year 2022, Amtrak served 22.9 million passengers. That figure was down ten million from 2019 when 33 million people rode Amtrak, a 30% decline.

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Acela trains are the fastest in the Americas, reaching 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) (qualifying as high-speed rail), but only over 49.9 miles (80.3 km) of the 457-mile (735 km) route. Washington, D.C.

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Acela offers two classes of seating, Business Class and First Class. Unlike most other Amtrak trains, Business Class is the de facto standard class on Acela trains; there is no coach service.

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Roomy, Comfortable Seating Conference tables, with seating for two or four, are available. A luggage tower and oversized overhead bins enable easy storage of carry-on luggage. Complimentary WiFi is also available. Amtrak Guest Reward members traveling in Acela First Class receive 50% point bonus.

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Amtrak reported $662 million in revenue and $334 million in adjusted operating earnings on the Acela in 2019, not including significant overhead including maintenance of tracks and right of way, making it the railroad's most profitable service line by those terms.

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While most Shinkansen currently operate at a maximum of 300 kph (186 mph), the E5 “Bullet Trains” of Japan Railways East (JR East) run at up to 320 kph (200 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen, which runs north from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori.

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In addition, the tracks, signals, rail cars and software made in the U.S. are costlier than imports, largely because the government has not funded rail the way European and Asian countries have, experts say.

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The simple answer: your Amtrak trip won't be affected by the government shutdown. As we've seen during previous government shutdowns, Amtrak has enough cash on hand to keep the trains running and workers paid in the near term.

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The simple answer is, “Because we don't want them.” The slightly longer answer is, “because the fastest trains are slower than flying; the most frequent trains are less convenient than driving; and trains are almost always more expensive than either flying or driving.”

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In the coming years, Amtrak will invest over $50 billion into modern trains, enhanced stations and facilities, new tunnels and bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades. These generational investments mean we're no longer only a passenger rail operator.

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HOW SAFE ARE TRAINS? Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.

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Plane travel is safest, reports Ian Savage, of the Dept. of Economics & Transportation Center at Norwestern University, in the Huff Post Live video clip above. Trains are three times more dangerous than flying but safer than traveling by car (which is 40 times more risky than flying), according to Savage.

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According to new research from environmental campaigners Greenpeace, flying in Europe can be up to 30 times cheaper than taking the train.

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Along the eastern corridor, there's a good bit of demand for Amtrak tickets, which pushes those prices up. And that's partly because Amtrak knows being able to travel between cities such as New York and D.C. without the hassle of driving to the airport, going through security, getting on a plane, etc.

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Over the next 15 years, Amtrak's vision for expansion will connect up to 160 communities throughout the United States by building new or improved rail corridors in over 25 states. Amtrak's plan will benefit all Americans and impact rural main street and urban city centers.

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