Amtrak Looking To Boost Acela Express Capacity, Speeds

Jason Rabinowitz at Forbes wrote an article stating that Amtrak said it has issued a RFP to "acquire new trainsets to supplement and eventually replace its aging Acela Express." The Acela Express runs along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and is operating near capacity and often sells out before and after major holidays.

The RFP seeks up to 28 next-generation high-speed trainsets capable of meeting or exceeding current Acela trip-times on the existing NEC infrastructure. Amtrak is also looking to increase the passenger capacity of each trainset by 40 percent, or 120 passengers. 

"The Northeast Corridor needs more high-speed rail capacity to help move the American economy forward," said President and CEO Joseph Boardman. "More and more people are choosing Amtrak for travel between Washington, New York and Boston. New equipment means more seats and more frequent departures to help meet that growing demand."

This is great news, Amtrak is adapting to meet higher demand, this is good for the NEC and good for the economy.