Amtrak is one step closer to bringing its new Avelia Liberty trains to the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak said on January 12 that the new trains had passed an extended series of computer modeling tests and have now been cleared by the Federal Railroad Administration to begin testing on the Northeast Corridor.
The Avelia Liberty trains will replace Amtrak’s Acela trains. The Avelia trains will travel at speeds of up to 160 miles per hour, 10 miles per hour faster than the Acela, and will tilt for a faster and smoother ride around curves. They can accommodate up to 386 passengers, an increase of 25 percent.
Alstom, the French manufacturer of the new trains, has encountered setbacks in production and testing, which has delayed roll out of the new trains by three years.
The New York Times reported on FRA’s approval of the new train sets on January 13, 2024. The article is behind a paywall.
(Amtrak image)