Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains are finally hitting the tracks—but for now, passengers may notice the ride is actually a little slower than before. Despite their futuristic design and faster top speeds, old tracks and infrastructure are keeping these new trains from reaching their full potential, the Wall Street Journal reports. The long-delayed trains, part of a $2.45 billion upgrade, are making their debut along the heavily traveled Washington-to-Boston route and are actually moving slower than the ones they're replacing.
The trains offer passengers 5G internet, more space, and a larger cafe than their predecessors, per the Boston Globe. But not more speed. A recent schedule review found that two of the new Acela trains will take at least seven hours, five minutes to complete the trip between Washington and Boston. Older models posted an average time of 6 hours, 56 minutes, per the Journal, though Amtrak reports the new trains can hit 160mph while the old ones maxed out at 150. The carrier blames the slower trips on the Northeast Corridor's aging infrastructure. The tracks, power lines, and signaling systems, some more than a century old, limit how often the trains can reach top speed. For now, the promised 20-minute reduction in the New York-to-DC trip remains aspirational.
Amtrak plans to roll out a total of 28 new train sets over the next two years, eventually phasing out the old fleet. The company says it will tweak schedules as it gathers more data and as infrastructure improvements are made. Boston's South Station held a festive event Wednesday night to greet its first Acela arrival and its passengers, including Deputy Director of Transportation Steven Bradbury, per the Globe. Bradbury reveled in the welcome by telling the crowd the Trump administration might take over the station. "Here in South Boston, we need to address the cleanliness, the crime, the safety, and security of the station," he said.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
