PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak has released images of the interiors for the new Acela trainsets currently under construction or in testing, and now not expected to debut until 2023.
“Between the sleek design of their interiors, state-of-the-art technology, and sustainable amenities, and innovative safety features, our new Acela trains will help revolutionize American train travel,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a press release. He also said passengers “will experience improved, modern, and smoother service on the Northeast Corridor and provide this country with the type of modern train travel we deserve when these trains are ready for service next year.”
The statement may be the first official acknowledgement that the Acelas will not debut in 2022. The 28 trainsets being built by Alstom at its Hornell, N.Y., plant were originally projected to enter service in 2021; that had been pushed back to this spring because of issues with the catenary system [see “News report says debut of new Acelas will be delayed by a year,” Trains News Wire, June 3, 2021].
