Acela
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Acela, more properly Acela Express, is the name used by Amtrak for the high speed trains which run between Washington and Boston via New York and Philadelphia along the Northeast Corridor of the United States. They can be identified in timetables by their four-digit train numbers.
Amtrak formerly operated a service on comparable routes using traditional trains called the Acela Regional. To avoid confusion with the Express, this service was renamed simply the Regional.
Thanks to recent improvements to railroad infrastructure, notably complete electrification of the line, the trains have become much faster; one can travel between Boston and New York in under four hours. These trains also tilt to negotiate the many curves on the densely populated route, permitting better passenger comfort and lower construction costs for the higher speeds. The improvements in speed, as well as the relative convenience of rail as opposed to air travel especially after September 11, have made the Acela competitive with the Northeast air shuttles. By some reckoning, Amtrak has captured nearly half of the market share of travelers between Boston and New York City.
Acela Express trains are manufactured as a joint project between Bombardier (75%) and Alstom (25%). They reach a top speed of 160 mi/h (257.5 km/h) only on one 29 km (18 miles) stretch of track (High speed rail is usually defined as over 200 km/h, or about 125 mi/h). The average speed of the train in practice is below 110 mi/h (177 km/h).
Seats on the Acela Express are colored blue; the interior is largely white and brightly lit with large windows; there are tables in the first-class section, while other cars are business-class and include a "quiet car" in which talking on cell phones is banned. A complimentary audio service is provided.
Stations
The trains stop at the following stations (note: not all trains stop at all stations). Connections to local rail transit are indicated.
- South Station, Boston, Massachusetts (MBTA Red Line and Commuter Rail)
- Back Bay Station, Boston, Massachusetts (MBTA Orange Line and Commuter Rail)
- Route 128 Station, Dedham, Massachusetts (MBTA Commuter Rail)
- Providence, Rhode Island (MBTA Commuter Rail)
- Kingston, Rhode Island
- Westerly, Rhode Island
- Mystic, Connecticut
- New London, Connecticut (Shore Line East)
- Old Saybrook, Connecticut (Shore Line East)
- New Haven, Connecticut (Shore Line East and New York MTA Metro-North)
- Bridgeport, Connecticut (Shore Line East and New York MTA Metro-North)
- Stamford, Connecticut (Shore Line East and New York MTA Metro-North)
- New Rochelle, New York (New York MTA Metro-North)
- Penn Station, New York, New York (New York MTA Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit; NYCT A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 9 trains)
- Penn Station, Newark, New Jersey (New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Newark City Subway, and PATH)
- EWR Airport Rail Station, New Jersey (New Jersey Transit commuter rail)
- Metropark, Iselin, New Jersey (New Jersey Transit commuter rail)
- Princeton Junction, New Jersey (New Jersey Transit commuter rail and shuttle service to Princeton University)
- Trenton, New Jersey (New Jersey Transit commuter rail and SEPTA commuter rail)
- 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (New Jersey Transit commuter rail, SEPTA commuter rail, SEPTA Market-Frankford Line subway and Green line trolleys)
- Wilmington, Delaware (SEPTA commuter rail)
- Aberdeen, Maryland
- Penn Station, Baltimore, Maryland (MARC commuter rail and Maryland Transit Administration light rail and bus)
- BWI Airport Rail Station, Maryland (MARC commuter rail and Maryland Transit Administration light rail)
- New Carrollton, Maryland (MARC commuter rail and WMATA Orange Line subway)
- Washington, DC (Union Station (MARC commuter rail, VRE commuter rail, WMATA Red Line subway)
External links
- Amtrak: Acela Express official home page
- Trainweb.com: Acela
- Travel & Leisure: Amtrak accelerates at last
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