First look inside Amtrak’s new Acela, featuring modern seating, faster Wi-Fi

Amtrak's new Acela trains are entering passenger service on Thursday, and I had a chance to join a preview for journalists on Wednesday, ahead of their first regular run. On the trip from New York to New Haven, Connecticut, I noticed that the new trains feel more like what travelers might see abroad than what passengers are accustomed to on American railroads.

These NextGen Acelas feature updated seating, a higher top speed, and some thoughtful amenities, such as reading lights and power at every seat (not just every row), which represent an improvement over the previous generation. The current generation is about to hit 25 years in service on the railroad.

"What's exciting about these is they're a bit faster, 160 miles an hour top end," Amtrak President Roger Harris told me right after we exited the tunnel from Penn Station in New York. "But if you look around, you'll see a really contemporary, clean, comfortable, spacious interior."

The trains are designed to travel faster than 160 miles per hour, but track restrictions along the route limit their top speed.

Here's what passengers can expect as the new trainsets begin to operate along the Northeast Corridor.

Features on the new Acela trains

Passengers will probably first notice the modern seating and amenities on the new Acela trainsets. Although the seats themselves feel a little hard, they are sure to break in as Amtrak projects record ridership on its new trains. The new Acelas seat 80 passengers more per set than the previous generation of Acelas.

Beyond that, Harris said, there's improved Wi-Fi connectivity and other amenities that help bring the railroad's flagship service into the modern era.

Amtrak's NextGen Acela at Penn Station in New York. A first generation Acela is departing on the adjacent track.

"We have 5G, Wi-Fi. We have new ergonomically shaped seats. We have a great cafe car. We have an improved cafe menu," Harris said. "We have an in-seat tower where you don't have to reach across your neighbor's lap."

Earlier generations of Amtrak trains had outlets only along the walls, requiring aisle seat passengers to ask their neighbors for permission before plugging in.

Improved accessibility

Handicap accessible restrooms on the NextGen Acela.

Harris said the new trains were also designed with accessibility in mind.

The restrooms, he said, "have a full 60-inch turning radius for people in mobility devices. So the whole train is far more accessible."

Other thoughtful features to assist passengers with mobility issues include built-in platform gap bridges at every door and automatic doors at the end of every car, allowing passengers to access the vestibules more easily.

Platform gap bridges on the NextGen Acela.

Changes to the schedule

Amtrak will initially have five trains in service, which Harris said will allow for two daily runs in each direction between Boston and Washington.

The railroad will then add one to two new Acelas per month until 2027, when it will have the full fleet of 28 in service.

NextGen Amtrak Acela at New York's Penn Station.

Harris said Amtrak expects to retire all the first-generation Acelas by Spring 2026, but will continue adding more new Acelas after that.

"About every six weeks, we'll be augmenting the schedule with new trains that come into service," he said.

Ultimately, once the full order of new Acelas is completed, there will be more daily Acela departures than there are now, which Harris said, along with the higher capacity, could add to lower prices on off-peak trips.

"That means more ability to buy tickets," he said. "By virtue of the fact that there are more seats, we're going to have more discounted seats on the off-peak departure."

Harris added that with a higher top speed, Amtrak should be able to tweak the schedule to provide a faster Acela service in the future.

Business Class seating on Amtrak's NextGen Acela.

"Over the next year, we will be modifying the schedule as we get more trains," he said. Not only will Amtrak be able to tweak the schedule as more fast trains come into service, but he said real-world performance of the trainsets will inform how they can be scheduled, and the railroad won't be able to do that until it has data from the trains' actual service performance.

"I expect that for the next year we'll be tweaking the schedule," Harris added.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].