Live: Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains to make inaugural ride

(NewsNation) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is acceptable to articulation Amtrak President Roger Harris successful Washington, D.C., connected Wednesday for the motorboat of the company's caller high-speed NextGen Acela train.

The inaugural thrust from D.C. to New York City comes aft aggregate setbacks and years of delays. The trains were initially scheduled to debut successful 2022.

After stopping astatine Penn Station successful NYC, the bid volition past caput to Boston’s South Station, with stops successful New Haven and Providence on the way.

Initially, 5 trains volition beryllium successful cognition passim the Northeast corridor, with 28 trains acceptable to beryllium moving by 2027. They are expected to scope apical speeds of 160 mph, astir 10 miles faster than older models. According to Amtrak, the trains volition diagnostic 27% much seats per departure, expanded schedules, escaped WIFI and upgraded interiors.

“NextGen Acela is much than a caller bid — it’s an improvement of travel," Harris said successful a news release.

The NextGen Acela fleet was assembled astatine Alstom’s installation successful Hornell, New York, by Machinists Union workers, creating astir 15,000 U.S. jobs, according to Amtrak.

The trains volition beryllium portion of a “broader fleet modernization plan,” which volition see caller Amtrak Airo trains acceptable to debut successful aggregate locations nationwide, much businesslike long-distance trains and upgrades to interior features. The older Acela trains were archetypal introduced successful 2000.

Passengers tin publication their seats connected the caller high-speed trains via the Amtrak website.