Amtrak Will Introduce New High-Speed Trains in 2021

In a few short years, travelers may be able to zip along the Northeast Corridor in a brand new fleet of high-speed Amtrak trains. The New York Times reports that Amtrak is using a $2.45 billion federal loan to purchase 28 cutting edge trains, which will reach speeds of 160 miles per hour.

The new trains, which will be released by the end of 2021, will serve as an update to Amtrak’s existing high-speed—but increasingly dilapidated—Acela fleet. The current Acela fleet of 20 trains (of which 17 are operational at any given time) transports 3.4 million passengers a year between New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C.

The new fleet, according to Amtrak, will run more frequently and transport more passengers: The trains will run every half hour between Washington D.C. and New York City, and every hour between New York and Boston. They will also be modular, so more cars can be added if demand increases, and will come with long-overdue Wi-Fi access and a third more seating than the Acela.

The plans were officially announced by vice president Joe Biden, who is among Amtrak’s most famous frequent passengers and supporters. “This is a serious, serious upgrade,” Biden explained. “You would need seven more lanes on I-95 to accommodate the traffic if Amtrak shut down.”

Check out the video below for more on the updated models.

[h/t New York Times]

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