Attention Acela riders: Plans are in motion to get you up and down the East Coast even faster.
Amtrak has announced plans to upgrade its Acela Express service along the Northeast region with a $2.4 billion investment for equipment improvements and station renovations as part of a larger modernization program to update its high-speed offering.
The railroad service has a contract with D.C.-based Alstom for this project, which calls for the production of 28 next-generation Acela trains that would replace existing equipment by 2021.
Building these new trains and enhancing infrastructure are “the necessary actions” to serve Amtrak’s customers and the economy, Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said in a statement. Amtrak also plans to improve ride quality and expand track capacity, it said.
The new trainsets will seat one-third more passengers than the existing Acela trains, and will eventually include improved Wi-Fi access, personal outlets and USB ports, and enhanced food service,…
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