Amtrak's Acela line is speeding up thanks to infrastructure improvements in New Jersey
If you're feeling the need for more speed on Amtrak's popular Northeast Corridor route, there's some good news coming down the tracks. Recent infrastructure improvements in New Jersey will allow Acela trains to whiz through a section of the Garden State at speeds up to 150 mph.
According to Amtrak, these speeds are the fastest in North America and match the top speeds currently achieved in parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Additionally, when the full infrastructure upgrades are introduced in the fall of 2023, Amtrak's spiffy new Acela trains will be able to achieve speeds of 160 mph — allowing ever-shorter trip times on the perpetually popular Northeast Corridor in the years ahead.
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“The upgrades coming from the New Jersey High-Speed Rail Improvement Program exemplify our continual commitment to upgrade the Northeast Corridor and transform the customer experience as we welcome more passengers back on board,” Stephen Gardner, Amtrak president and CEO, said. “Thanks to the hard work by Amtrak’s Infrastructure Maintenance & Construction Services Team and our DOT and commuter partners, our customers will experience more reliable and faster trains and better on-time performance on this busy section of the NEC.”
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The recent infrastructure improvements were implemented along a 16-mile segment of track between New Brunswick and South Brunswick. They were part of the New Jersey High-Speed Rail Improvement Program and made possible thanks to a $450 million investment by the U.S. Department of Transportation. These improvements are the first of many speed upgrades anticipated in the Northeast Corridor, according to Amtrak. They will help to lay the framework for future trip time reduction, and improve the reliability of intercity and commuter services on one of the most heavily used sections of the Northeast Corridor.
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Recently, Amtrak also restored more Acela service to its schedule, with 10 daily round-trip trains between New York and Washington, D.C., as well as nine round-trip trains between Boston and New York.