And just like that, Princeton Junction has become more appealing than ever before. This has definitely been a long time coming, and it's amazing to see. I noticed that the Acela at 1:43 is running Avelia-style.
this is Isaiah Wiley from myrtle Beach south Carolina saying that we will miss the Amtrak acela trains that were made in 2000 because this is the best UA-cam video ever seeing them in 150 mph and they were my favorite train because I rode on them when I was younger.
its about god dam time, in 2012 the crew were doing Acela Express test runs up to 165mph, i wish Amtrak would upgrade Amfleets to 135mph, they are capable of running that speed
No they're not. They have never been able to achieve 135 and maintain an acceptable level of comfort. They weren't designed for 135 mph service either.
Wow, I didn't think they would ever be done with the track upgrades at Princeton Junction. Those platform extenders were up seemingly as long as I can remember
So I went to Baltimore on 6-1-22 for a day trip, and when I went to catch the Palmetto home, it was late and ended up arriving just after the southbound Vermonter. They announced the Palmetto but not the Vermonter. I get on an arriving train which "felt" like it was going north but really was going south. See Baltimore Penn is on a diagonal alignment so it is easy to get turned around. I even see the Vermonter on the variable message board, but thought it was a mistake, I'm a railfan and I don't need no stinking signs to tell ME what to do. So I get on the train and it sits for about ten minutes. Meanwhile I missed all the action and signage on the opposite track since my view was blocked by a freight elevator shaft. After the Palmetto left, the conductor told me I was on the wrong train!! No way was I staying in Baltimore to look for lodging. One day in that lala land and I was DONE. So I just rode to DC to stay there. Then I booked a northbound ACELA (since it was only 2000 points more than a NE regional). I'm riding the Acela in NJ, with no foreknowledge about the raising of the speed limit, but something felt just different. I checked my speedometer app, it read 148 MPH! WTH? My man on the inside told me that yes they just raised it in a few spots. So that is how, me, who for 20 years avoided the expense of an Acela ticket, ended up on one just three days after they raised the limit - and half a century after the failed attempts at running a Metroliner (regularly and permanently) as a true high speed rail service on the Pennsy. Using a few seconds of your video in my next video - which will include lots of inside footage at the end of it.
The actually increased the speed from County to Midway but as of right now. Trains are limited to 130mph in that section. I think after they finish installing the new catenary west of CP Clark they're going to take it east to County. They're already setting up the new catenary arms. It's only a matter of time.
@@FanRailer I saw a graph of all the planned speed upgrades between NY and DC. It seems that they are planning on bringing almost all the higher speed sections to 160mph on most of the route. Is that actually happening? I mean, I know that with the new Avelias they are targeting at lest some of these sections for an ultimate upgrade to 160mph, but is that actually planned for all of these 125+mph sections? Or was that just a fan getting overly excited with their graph? Thank you!
@@TohaBgood2 From what I've been told. They are trying to take advantage of the new trainsets. They are way lighter than the Acelas gen1. They can go faster and are much better at taking curves. So they may introduce a new speeds.
Thats amazing and great video! What did the MPH used to be? Was there a significant difference? Also, do they plan to upgrade other sections of track for the trains to reach 150mph?
The Aclea is a tier 2 trainset. It's maximum speed in service is 150mph. The reason why the new Acleas are super delayed is because the FRA is extensively testing each system as it's going to be a tier 3 trainset. Which will be able to reach speeds of 220mph. Or 189mph with tilt. The track class is 8. So as of right now. The only thing that's limiting the speed is the train and catenary.
The new trainsets have been tested to 165 mph and will be certified for 160 mph on the current infrastructure. We will not see 185 mph operations until dedicated high speed lines are built.
@@thetrainguy1 Not true. The current Acela trainset’s maximum speed is 160 MPH. It does not reach this speed because the NEC was never certified for operations above 150 MPH. Also, the Avelias are delayed because they have flaws, not because of federal certification
I doubt it; not long enough of a straightaway to gain anything out of such a high speed. By the time you hit 185, you'll be back on the brakes to slow for either the curve at MP40 (eastbound) or for the speed reduction at HAM (westbound). The original NEC will never see speeds higher than probably 160 mph. A new bypass would have to be built for that to happen.
@@JoeyLovesTrains On top of what FanRailer said, the tracks aren't far enough apart to allow >160mph. Trains encountering each other in opposite directions would create too much of a shockwave on each other. Purpose - built high speed lines space the tracks further apart to mitigate this.
My Penn Station attacker needs to be struck by an Amtrak Acela train going 150 mph. I'd be like take that, that's what you get for what you did to me! Btw I was at Penn Station the same day this was uploaded but was assaulted there on January 29, 2023.
@Malachai Carter 🤣🤣🤣. What??? Well then I guess the UK and Japan are not developed countries because neither is running trains at 220 MPH in revenue service. The majority are about 200 MPH. If you did some research you would find that the definition of HSR is 125MPH or greater on Improved tracks (such as Amtrak’s NEC). The fastest train in all of Europe is in Italy and runs just over 220. The rest are well below that speed. The fast train in Japan goes 200 MPH in revenue service.
@@FFred-us9tw I think/hope he meant the track. New HSR track is now commonly built to the 220mph standard and new HSR trainsets are perfectly capable of reaching and sustaining those speeds. 200-220 is rapidly becoming the new standard speed for "good" HSR. It's not nearly as exotic as some people make it out to be, and it's rapidly becoming a common occurrence rather than exotic future tech. But you are right that 125+mph on upgraded legacy track and 150+mph on new track is universally considered HSR. So by that metric the Acela is full-blown HSR on most of the NEC (anywhere it runs at or above 125).
Lol, what? HSR trains go at much higher speeds in regular operations all the time. There's absolutely nothing unusual or dangerous about this. It's way safer than flying and orders of magnitude safer than driving.
I can think of exactly zero cases where a train crashed because it was going objectively fast but within the track speed for its location. Bizarre take.
And just like that, Princeton Junction has become more appealing than ever before. This has definitely been a long time coming, and it's amazing to see. I noticed that the Acela at 1:43 is running Avelia-style.
What is Avelia style?
Wow. I didn't know that was allowed on the old sets
Yep the pantograph burnt out
@@piemadd only one pantograph is up.
@@piemadd Running with only one pantograph.
this is Isaiah Wiley from myrtle Beach south Carolina saying that we will miss the Amtrak acela trains that were made in 2000 because this is the best UA-cam video ever seeing them in 150 mph and they were my favorite train because I rode on them when I was younger.
Just imagine if the entire United States had access to trains this fast!
If only we stop voting for people that are bought by the auto industry…
This is the moment that we railfans were waiting for. Amtrak Acela Express’s Upgrade up to 150 MPH! Express Coming Through. 🚄💨
Great seeing stuff like this finally coming to fruition, yay for HSR!
its about god dam time, in 2012 the crew were doing Acela Express test runs up to 165mph, i wish Amtrak would upgrade Amfleets to 135mph, they are capable of running that speed
No they're not. They have never been able to achieve 135 and maintain an acceptable level of comfort. They weren't designed for 135 mph service either.
Even the new coaches amtrak is getting from Siemens will only run at 125. Anything higher would need tilting probably.
The FRA has a limit on their speed. Tier 1 trains maximum speed is 125mph.
They hit 170 mph too In 2012
The Pioneer III truck sucks at higher speeds. Even Amtrak has admitted it’s rough on track
Wow, I didn't think they would ever be done with the track upgrades at Princeton Junction. Those platform extenders were up seemingly as long as I can remember
So I went to Baltimore on 6-1-22 for a day trip, and when I went to catch the Palmetto home, it was late and ended up arriving just after the southbound Vermonter. They announced the Palmetto but not the Vermonter. I get on an arriving train which "felt" like it was going north but really was going south. See Baltimore Penn is on a diagonal alignment so it is easy to get turned around. I even see the Vermonter on the variable message board, but thought it was a mistake, I'm a railfan and I don't need no stinking signs to tell ME what to do. So I get on the train and it sits for about ten minutes. Meanwhile I missed all the action and signage on the opposite track since my view was blocked by a freight elevator shaft. After the Palmetto left, the conductor told me I was on the wrong train!! No way was I staying in Baltimore to look for lodging. One day in that lala land and I was DONE. So I just rode to DC to stay there. Then I booked a northbound ACELA (since it was only 2000 points more than a NE regional). I'm riding the Acela in NJ, with no foreknowledge about the raising of the speed limit, but something felt just different. I checked my speedometer app, it read 148 MPH! WTH? My man on the inside told me that yes they just raised it in a few spots. So that is how, me, who for 20 years avoided the expense of an Acela ticket, ended up on one just three days after they raised the limit - and half a century after the failed attempts at running a Metroliner (regularly and permanently) as a true high speed rail service on the Pennsy. Using a few seconds of your video in my next video - which will include lots of inside footage at the end of it.
Nice catches! Can't wait to see the next gen Acela at 160 through here.
The actually increased the speed from County to Midway but as of right now. Trains are limited to 130mph in that section. I think after they finish installing the new catenary west of CP Clark they're going to take it east to County. They're already setting up the new catenary arms. It's only a matter of time.
The new speeds are as follows:
HAM to CP Clark 135.
CP Clark to MIDWAY 150.
MIDWAY to COUNTY 145.
Curves at MP 34, 39, and 40.2 remain 130.
@@FanRailer I saw a graph of all the planned speed upgrades between NY and DC. It seems that they are planning on bringing almost all the higher speed sections to 160mph on most of the route. Is that actually happening? I mean, I know that with the new Avelias they are targeting at lest some of these sections for an ultimate upgrade to 160mph, but is that actually planned for all of these 125+mph sections? Or was that just a fan getting overly excited with their graph?
Thank you!
@@TohaBgood2 From what I've been told. They are trying to take advantage of the new trainsets. They are way lighter than the Acelas gen1. They can go faster and are much better at taking curves. So they may introduce a new speeds.
Yay! Finally to see it approved. How much time would be shaved off from Philly to NY?
lol, 90 seconds.
Great compilation!
they have always ran up to 150 in massachusetts, right?
yes, since electrification and the start of Acela service.
1:45 it’s very odd seeing an Acela going so fast without the pantograph up..
It had one
I’ll be on 2103 through here later this month. Wonder if they will shave time off the schedules for this
Awesome acela express catch
I will be blowing passed here tomorrow on it nice video!
Thats amazing and great video! What did the MPH used to be? Was there a significant difference? Also, do they plan to upgrade other sections of track for the trains to reach 150mph?
135. They're not completely done with the upgrades yet. Once they are, Hamilton will also see 150 mph on the middle two tracks.
@@FanRailer When will the Hamilton stretch be completed?
No idea, I thought they’d be done by now, considering they started over a decade ago.
@@nathanielcoleman5694 Hamilton by 2023 and Trenton by 2024.
Sweet now i don't have to go to MASS anymore
How long of a stretch is upgraded? I wonder if they shortened the timetable or will just use the extra speed to keep a better on time performance.
Currently only enough to shorten running times by about 90 seconds. No schedule changes will result from this initial speed upgrade.
LONG overdue
I have got to go to Princeton Junction when I get the chance
I’m glad to see it finished! Whatever happened to the 165 MPH proposal though? Was it cancelled in favor of 150?
1st gen acela sets can't run to 165. The avelia can and probably will when they launch in service.
The Aclea is a tier 2 trainset. It's maximum speed in service is 150mph. The reason why the new Acleas are super delayed is because the FRA is extensively testing each system as it's going to be a tier 3 trainset. Which will be able to reach speeds of 220mph. Or 189mph with tilt. The track class is 8. So as of right now. The only thing that's limiting the speed is the train and catenary.
The new trainsets have been tested to 165 mph and will be certified for 160 mph on the current infrastructure. We will not see 185 mph operations until dedicated high speed lines are built.
@@thetrainguy1 Not true. The current Acela trainset’s maximum speed is 160 MPH. It does not reach this speed because the NEC was never certified for operations above 150 MPH. Also, the Avelias are delayed because they have flaws, not because of federal certification
@@nathanielcoleman5694 at this point, the Feds are a major part of the delay. Most of the flaws have been rectified
1:46 the pantograph is down on the first car
Like the new intro!
2:15 best shot of the video
Weird how 150mph on these tracks feels slower
Maybe because it's not on the platform track like Kingston.
What happened to the plans of 160mph upgrades??
160 will happen with the new trainsets
@@FanRailer oh. I wonder if they’ll ever upgrade this section to 186 with new signaling
I doubt it; not long enough of a straightaway to gain anything out of such a high speed. By the time you hit 185, you'll be back on the brakes to slow for either the curve at MP40 (eastbound) or for the speed reduction at HAM (westbound). The original NEC will never see speeds higher than probably 160 mph. A new bypass would have to be built for that to happen.
@@JoeyLovesTrains On top of what FanRailer said, the tracks aren't far enough apart to allow >160mph. Trains encountering each other in opposite directions would create too much of a shockwave on each other.
Purpose - built high speed lines space the tracks further apart to mitigate this.
Damn, 3:18 sounds insane
With this awesome upgrade, how fast will the Avelia’s go?
160mph
finally geez but still aint enough hi speed this is all we have here
Imagine Amtrak put Acelas all over the U.S.
My Penn Station attacker needs to be struck by an Amtrak Acela train going 150 mph. I'd be like take that, that's what you get for what you did to me! Btw I was at Penn Station the same day this was uploaded but was assaulted there on January 29, 2023.
way too fast for any train, thats how train wrecks happen, totally not cool
The only reason this comment got approved is so that people can flame the shit out of you for your idiocy. Have at it boys.
@Malachai Carter 🤣🤣🤣. What??? Well then I guess the UK and Japan are not developed countries because neither is running trains at 220 MPH in revenue service. The majority are about 200 MPH. If you did some research you would find that the definition of HSR is 125MPH or greater on Improved tracks (such as Amtrak’s NEC). The fastest train in all of Europe is in Italy and runs just over 220. The rest are well below that speed. The fast train in Japan goes 200 MPH in revenue service.
@@FFred-us9tw I think/hope he meant the track. New HSR track is now commonly built to the 220mph standard and new HSR trainsets are perfectly capable of reaching and sustaining those speeds. 200-220 is rapidly becoming the new standard speed for "good" HSR. It's not nearly as exotic as some people make it out to be, and it's rapidly becoming a common occurrence rather than exotic future tech.
But you are right that 125+mph on upgraded legacy track and 150+mph on new track is universally considered HSR. So by that metric the Acela is full-blown HSR on most of the NEC (anywhere it runs at or above 125).
Lol, what? HSR trains go at much higher speeds in regular operations all the time. There's absolutely nothing unusual or dangerous about this. It's way safer than flying and orders of magnitude safer than driving.
LOL Nice troll dude.
So stupid no train should be going that fast this is how accidents happen
lmao literally the most uninformed comment about high speed rail ops if there ever was one.
@@FanRailer Agreed.
Many trains around the world go at 200 mph.
I can think of exactly zero cases where a train crashed because it was going objectively fast but within the track speed for its location. Bizarre take.
You really shouldn't be saying anything else is stupid when you thought posting a comment this dumb was a good idea.
🥳🚂🚃CooL 🥳🚃🚂