Amtrak’s new Acela sleeker, a little faster

The train eased up to 160 mph just after sunrise Thursday, its electrical whir fading to the background as passengers watched the marshlands and backyards of coastal New England blur together outside the window.

- GABE CASTRO-ROOT

On board, every surface gleamed — the windows were spotless, the seats uncreased. A faint new-car scent lingered as the train hummed south.

The moment was a decade and $2.35 billion in the making for Amtrak, which in 2016 teamed up with French train manufacturer Alstom to replace the aging rail fleet that operates as Acela, Amtrak’s premium, high-speed service in the Northeast Corridor. Now, as the first commercial trip of the new service, called NextGen Acela, departed South Station in Boston en route to Washington, the energy among passengers felt almost giddy. No matter that it was barely 6 am.

“It’s very special and unique to be here to take part in an inaugural high-speed train,” said Ben Wang, a transit enthusiast who travelled from San Jose, California, to be on the first run. “It’s quiet. It's smooth. I love it.”

With larger windows, faster WiFi, grab-and-go food options and power outlets at every seat, the NextGen trains offer riders a markedly more pleasant experience than the original Acela. Additional features like live location tracking on ceiling-mounted screens and self-checkout in the cafe car will debut in the coming weeks.

The new trains are not, however, meaningfully faster, and still lag far behind high-speed rail in countries like China, Japan and France, where trains can surpass 200 mph.

SPEEDIER, YET SLOWER