October 9, 2017
Prompted by the growth of high speed service to the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak and Alstom are embarking on a historic contract to expand rail travel at speeds of up to 160 miles per hour.
At an employees only announcement held at Amtraks headquarters in Philadelphia on Friday, the partners unveiled the final exterior design of the next generation train set, with a more vivid paint scheme than previously seen.
Building upon 16 years of high-speed rail service in the Northeast, Amtrak is working with Alstom to produce the next-generation of high-speed trainsets built to international standards, to replace the equipment used to provide Amtraks premium Acela Express service on the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor (NEC). As part of this multifaceted modernization program, Amtrak is also investing in infrastructure needed to improve the on-board and station customer experience and accommodate the increased high-speed rail service levels made possible by the new trains, said a statement from Amtrak.
The lofty contract to build 28 transits will nearly double Amtraks current high speed fleet, and put Alstom at the forefront of helping America catch up with the rest of the world in high speed transit technology.
Amtrak and Alstom teams have been working together for many years to make the Acela Express an American rail success story. Were excited to partner with Amtrak again, this time to bring next generation high speed trainsets to America. The Avelia Liberty we are building in Hornell will meet and exceed expectations, and will be another step towards better passenger transport mobility on the Northeast Corridor and across the United States, said a statement from Alstom.
New documents obtained by The Spectator outline added design benefits of the new train line, which include one-third more passenger seats; half-hourly service facilitated by the ordering of more trainsets; a smoother ride comparable to international high-speed train service; as well as customer amenities like Wi-Fi access, personal outlets, USB ports and adjustable reading lights at every seat, enhanced food service car service and handicap accessibility.
Originally, company timelines put delivery of the first train-car shells in November of this year. At Fridays announcement a more solid timeline was established. The first trainset prototype will be ready for testing in 2019 and the first trainset will enter revenue service in early 2021, with all trainsets in service and the current fleet retired in early 2022.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer also showed his excitement for the project.
The only thing better than these sleek, smooth and modern Amtrak trains is the fact that they were made in the Southern Tier by some of the best workers in the world, said Schumer. This contract is a massive win on multiple fronts: improved rail safety, new jobs for Upstate New York, and improved Amtrak experience for passengers along the entire Northeast Corridor. All aboard!
As a result of the work that will soon get underway at the Hornell Alstom plants, 400 manufacturing jobs will have been created in Hornell, suppliers will experience 1,000 person job growth, and new infrastructure to accommodate the high-speed cars will be built in Hornell, including a high-speed test track.
