Seems like if Amtrak has any failings, it's that it can often run late -- however you got lucky with only 5 minutes behind schedule. $49 is quite a steal for this route, IMO. Looks like a very comfortable ride. Thanks for the video, Dylan. See you on Monday!
Acela ride is bumpy, wobbly and far from smooth especially when it hits top speed in Rhode Island where it feels like the train will derail at any moment. (Sam Jennings, retired Acela Express Conductor)
Nice video! I’ve taken this train, many a time with an occasional stop over in Philly. As you pointed out it’s a fast convenient way to travel on the East Coast, especially between NYC and DC - beats flying. By the way, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station is quite nice! Not grand, but like a jewel box.
Amtrak Acela actually wins the market share of passengers Washington to New York City with the less than three hours train journey, but does not with the four hour train journey New York City to Boson market share war with the airlines. Acela loses badly with the market share battle with the Washington to Boston nearly seven hour train journey... As Amtrak numbers reveal, HSR fares well up to around a three hour train journey, but loses the market share beyond around three hours.., The sweet spot for competitive HSR is around three hours...NUMBERS DON'T LIE!
@@ronclark9724 Makes sense. This reminds me of the old Eastern Airlines Shuttle. I recall making a trip from LGA to DCA on Eastern - the fare was $30 o/w? It was great, no reservations and you could pay on board. Too many people? They would roll out another plane. Those hassle free days are gone.😏
I live in Baltimore and take Amtrak every now and then. Nice to see Baltimore represented on your channel, even though the route through Btown is going through some very bleak neighborhoods.
Nice video! I remember the original Penn Central Metroliner and the thrill of seeing them race by (when they still had street grades/crossings way back). The Acela looks nice, clean and ride appeared smooth.
Great video. I have only done this trip once in a very snowy February. It is nice to see the scenery in the warmer months. That being said, a nice benefit of travelling in the colder months is that there were very few people in the business class carriage and I manage to get one of the booths.
I do like the Washington DC underground, few stations though it may have, it always seems modern and futuristic. Did you do any video specifically on this?
One of my most memorable journeys on Amtrak was taking an evening train, the Boston Banker from Penn station to Boston...thankfully it wasn't a very long journey, but boy did it shaked, rocked and rolled, and not in a good way! That was some years ago, so lets hope that they've improved the tracks.
12:58 your right, if you do it without the staff’s permission. Because the amtrak staff let me explore business class on the Pacific Surfliner after I asked them. Then again, the Acela is a “premium service” so I’m not sure that the same rules apply.
I enjoyed this video. I've never been on any trains except the subway in Toronto, Montreal, NJ, Washington DC, and Paris France. I've often been fascinated with train travel and I hope to do this someday.
If they don't run late like mine did on a day trip between DC and Wilmington. The night service was 2 hours late arriving at my station. Try trying to fill time in at a station where the shop and customer service had shut at night in a sketchy part of town (Wilmington).
Very nice Dylan. Well we crossed paths again. You came right thru my home town of Philadelphia. It doesn't look good via the rails. We do photograph well. DC's old station has aged well. 30th St. Station isn't bad either, unless you're trying to get to it or out of it. I can let you in on a tidbit that locals know. This train service has to be good because that's how many politicians get back & forth to our capital. Biden took it regularly. I was waiting to hear you pronounce our Native American names. You did manage Susquehanna quite well. Natives love to help out. We'd get you thru all of them. Don't be afraid to ask. Think of Maryland the same way you'd say Marylebone. Thanks again for a nice ride on the rails. I missed you last Monday. I couldn't find your post anywhere. Enjoy your weekend.
I remember this train from Microsoft Train Simulator. I rode this train once several years later. I loved every second of the ride; it was quite comfortable and I could remember some of the route details, MSTS seemed to be pretty accurate for its time.
Great video overall. I cannot wait to see your comparison between acela express and the traditional amtrack offer. you might also consider reviewing your flight . As you must have taken a flight to the us from the uk I would be interesting to have your opinion on it.
I agree that these are better trains than their reputation would suggest. The track itself let them down for a while but Amtrak has been making improvements to the worst areas, which has improved the ride quality. I think most people prefer the look of these vs. the new Avelia Liberty trains, which both look more "European" and also have locomotives that don't match the profile of the cars in between; they look mismatched. I've never ridden high speed trains in Europe but I have ridden Japanese Shinkansen trains pretty extensively, and overall I'd put the Acela Express experience right up there in comparison. It's just not quite as fast.
Agree on everything except the look of the Avelia Liberties. The more I see them the more they grow on me. But yes, the Acela is a widely under-appreciated service. The trains are great and incredibly comfortable in typical Amtrak fashion. Amtrak’s seats and pitch never disappoint. You immediately know why the Acela is more expensive than flying when you first sit down. But I really do think that the Avelias will greatly improve the service. As soon as they are introduced Amtrak will be able to increase top speeds from 150mph to 160mph. Their faster acceleration will also allow for time savings elsewhere on the route. And with Amtrak planning to eventually upgrade all the 125+mph high speed sections to 160mph, we’ll start seeing a very different experience on the Acela in a few (or more) years. Who knows, maybe Amtrak will even find some sections where the Avelias can fully stretch to their 186mph top speed at some point.
I travelled on Amtrak from New York Penn to Boston Back Bay in July 2021 and we were allowed to select our seats in Business Class with an airplane style seat map on the website at booking
When our daughter lived in downtown Manhattan, we took the Northeast Regional from Charlottesville, VA to New York Penn Station. I was always surprised by the big increase in price for the Acela service for only 30 minutes of time advantage from Washington to New York. Now that she lives on Staten Island, it is more convenient to drive since it is such a chore to get from Penn Station to Staten Island and parking is not a problem.
I took the Acela from Baltimore to New York last June and i say the Wi-Fi i actually quite fast and was even able to watch Disney+ on their with no problem. Also the ride is comparatively more rough compared to a airplane but it isn’t as loud as a jetliner.
Hi Dylan. I have been following you for a long time now, and wondered "of all of the thousands of stations you have been to, which is the most impressive"? For me it has to be the cathedral known as St. Pancras.
The Susquehanna River begins in Cooperstown, NY, flowing out of lake Otsego. It zig zags through New York State (not two miles from my boyhood home) and Pennsylvania.
While the Acela engines are loosely based on the TGV, the carriages are derived from Via Rail's LRC system - a less impressive lineage, but it makes them (very distantly) related to the Super Voyager! (The new trains are, apparently a cross between the next-generation TGV and the Pendolino.)
I've never ridden the Acela service (or any east coast service for that matter) but it seems a very good way to get around the northeast. I'm guessing that the travel time from downtown Washington to mid-town Manhattan can't be much different between Acela and an airline (maybe quicker?). Even at $80 the price can't be much different either. Great video!
@@johndasey8427 It used to be fairly quick by plane. If you time it right, it's only about an hour and half. I used to go from Boston to NY in less than an hour for $42. No reservations, no names, id or tickets. Just get on and pay in cash. The flight attendant had to be quick to collect the cash before it landed.
@@firesurfer well you have to account for security and actually getting to nyc from the airport it adds and extra 2 and a half hours so train is about the same tine
I think the Acela is nice, but the upgrades are needed to make it a true high speed rail. The new trains will do just that. We need more high-speed rail like this. People need to realize that the US Can have a better rail system
@@somebody5332 You don’t need the blanket the entire country with it. There are a number of regions where it would make plenty of sense, like the Texas Triangle.
@@somebody5332 It absolutely is economical in the US. There is a reason they are building it in the Northeast Corridor in the first place. America has several regions with cities pack closely together that are perfect for HSR, like Texas, California, Cascades, Florida, etc. Amtrak makes most of their money in the dense northeast.
New trains won’t magically fix issues with the NE corridor itself/make it a “true” high speed service, no matter how fast it could theoretically go, much more investment is needed such as a dedicated corridor like in Texas/California
Neat vid! Nice to see the 'train arriving' platform lights still work in DC. You were rather fortunate station security didn't get excited at you filming in Union Stn... Curious: what GPS app do you use to check train speeds...?
Hmm, I was pleasantly surprised at that too. I also thought that America's rail network was more geared towards freight than passengers, so to have a line of even 200kmph is pretty decent in my opinion! Also, those trains look quite respectable, at least compared to other trains I've seen, so if they were to be retired, I'd suggest re-using them elsewhere, or shipping them to another country - they're far too good for scrap.
The line between DC-NY-Boston is primarily for passenger rail, so delays are less common and speeds are higher. It is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to US passenger rail
These trains were ridden/used _a lot_ , and are at the end of their service life (also there probably are no new spare parts to keep them running, as the company that made it, Bombardier, is now Alstom.)
Simply put the only suitable electrified line capable of running Acela is the Keystone line from Philadelphia to Harrisburg... Unfortunately the regional trains run further to Pittsburgh, so it makes sense for Amtrak to upgrade this route with the new Siemens diesels and coaches similar to Florida's Brightline...
@@ronclark9724 I thought they were going to use some Charger derivative that runs off of catenary, no? The Chargers are just US-spec Siemens Vectrons with a Cummins engine providing traction electrical power instead of the wire. One would think that making them accept catenary power is trivial.
It’s in pretty good shape considering it’s been in service since 2000. Ever since riding the Japanese Bullet train more times than I can count. I would take a high speed rail any day over flying, unless it’s like a 5 hours or longer as planes are usually faster for that distance.
Dylan You didn't mention the baby changing table in your review of the rest room. Please remember to do this in the future, It/s important even for grandparents like me!
Is there a reason you took a left side seat? I find the right to be better because you don't see the tracks all the time, even though the right side is completely blocked by fences/trees/walls some of the time.
A cheaper concrete and much smaller interpretation of the Union station ceiling can be found in the tiny station of Oldenzaal NL. It is now a very special restaurant. You can still take the commuter train to Hengelo or the train to Bielefeld Germany. A long time ago it was the last stop before the German border for the International boat train from London to Moscow, starting in Hook of Holland. Now this is the train Amsterdam to Berlin. It no longer stops at Oldenzaal. The Oldenzaal platforms are not long enough for an ICM. In rare winter conditions in the past an ICM was used and the conductor prevented you from getting out the last exit.
I noticed four other train operators en route: MARC, SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATH. Maybe you also observed Virginia Rail Express in Union Station and the Washington Metro. Had you been sitting on the right side of the train, you would have noticed the Philadelphia art museum whose steps were made famous in the movie Rocky. Sorry to inform or remind you, but Philadelphia was the epicenter of American independence. I rode Acela only once, when for some reason it was cheaper that day than the conventional Northeast Corridor service between New York and Washington. Too bad, but the train broke down at New Brunswick, and its passengers had to squeeze into a regular train.
It's nice to see Amtrak at least has some decent track. A lot of the rails in the States resemble roller coasters. This is obviously the better side of American trains. Thanks Dylan. Nice video
@@DimitrisSartzetakis, it matters not a whit that it looks like a flight, especially since (from my observation) nmost HSR is like a flight to begin with; that's just how (North) Americans are ('different strokes' and all that.)
For your next future train trip, if you were to travel to Canada and you want to ride on Via Rail, then maybe you can ride on The Canadian leaving Vancouver on Day 1 and arriving in Toronto on Day 4 and the same for The Ocean leaving Montreal during the evening and arriving in Halifax the next evening.
Dylan I have a question regarding your video, at about 17:03 you panned the camera towards the seats in front of you. On top of the seat it appears like money is clipped on the seat tops ?? Also when you had your phone out and showing the actual speed of the train, what app were you using ? Great video and lots of interesting facts.
I just took Acela this weekend and also paid $49 each way thanks to the sale they ran a while back. Unfortunately the system came crashing down on Monday thanks to a drunk driver. So I had to take a bus home. That was quite dire
Personally, I think Acela is a waste of money in most cases. The Northeast Regional is fine on this route. Tip: If going between New York and Washington, try to get the Palmetto (trains 89/90). This usually has more comfortable Amfleet II equipment and pricing is in line with the Regional trains. The Pennsylvanian can also take you between New York and Philadelphia and it also has Amfleet II equipment, but be aware that between New York-Philadelphia (and vice-versa) the trains do essentially run backwards.
This thing is built like a tank lol - 565 tonnes! Hopefully the NE corridor gets dedicated high speed rail instead of rolling stock replacements and minor upgrades (looks pretty unlikely though)
The next generation Acela is already undergoing testing. It is more or less an off the shelf TGV with the Pendolino tilt system included. Look up Avelia Liberty and you'll find all kinds of info on it.
@@mj1234321 thats what i was referring to by investing in a dedicated high speed rail corridor like in Texas or California (not the greatest example lol) instead of just new trains/upgrades, as the limitations of the route itself remains, looks amazing though!
Yeah the reason the new Acela sets are taking so long is because the NEC is falling apart and the train can't take the old power system, catenary, and tracks.
Amtrak being on time is interesting i always knew Amtraks time table being quite questionable but well they cant help it most of the track is owned by the freight companies
20+ years in service, but remember it runs in all kinds of weather, the route to Boston runs along the salt water Long Island Sound most of the way across Connecticut. Plus on the fastest part (that’s north of New York) going stop speed can cause the whole train to vibrate in a rather unsettling way. I preferred the “slow” train, and only took the Acela because the pricing on a round trip was not all that much different.
I was just going to say the same thing (I also want him to try the _Ocean_ [Montreal to Halifax] and the _Canadian_ [Toronto to Vancouver.]) Plus, I want him to come here to Toronto and take the GO (Government of Ontario) Transit train from Toronto to Niagara Falls.
I've literally gotten 10 dollar tickets on the Northeast Regional from Philly to NYC in the past. It's a way better deal. Acela is cool though, and its significance for American Rail History will be remembered for generations.
This seems like Amtrak is on the right track (pun intended) by offering a deluxe high speed train as an option for business people. Too bad this kind of service is not offered anywhere else in the system. The Regional trains offer an excellent service, a little slower, a lot cheaper. I noticed there is no food service, at this price and level of service there should be. Good report Dylan !
There absolutely is food service. He shows it in the video. Also, in first class (which I don't fault him for not really talking about), the food service is at-seat if you want it.
@@ModernClassic My bad ! I meant that there is no at seat service , such as a cart with sandwiches,etc. There is such a service on some trains and most all Canadian VIA Rail trains. I realize you can go to the food service car and get what you need. Sorry.
Dylan or anyone else, what is the speedo app you are using. The only ones I can find have an analogue dial. That digital one looks good and ready to read.
6:14 well, that’s sort of true, during the pandemic, amtrak introduced reserved seating on the northeast regional I believe a couple more regional services, I’m not sure if that is offered anymore
@@Neville60001 I have to agree with the two yahoos. I was conductor on Acela many times during my 30-year career at Amtrak and the ride was bumpy, jerky and noisy... especially at top speeds. Amtrak crews hated Acela train sets which were plagued with chronic breakdowns and mechanical problems from the get go.
@@Neville60001 Yeah definitely trust the person who used it once than someone who lives on the Northeast Corridor and knows firsthand the state of the infrastructure and trainsets. I'm telling you, they're falling apart.
The Acela is a fine service. I've been on it a few times and it doesn't disappoint. What's really holding this service back is the 100-year-old infrastructure. You can't get high enough speeds to achieve high speed rail status and it's a shame since this is Amtrak's most profitable route. With the new trains, service speeds in RI, MAS, and NJ will see speeds of around 160/165 miles an hour and some places in Maryland and Pennsylvania will see speeds increase to around 145/150 miles an hour thanks to track and catenary upgrades. The tickets can be expensive at times, and I would sometimes take the regional since its cheaper, but the Acela defiantly fits the "Too long to drive and too short to fly" narrative
I feel like it would be a good idea for Amtrak to move these trainsets to other viable mid-high speed routes, instead of entirely retiring them from service. Maybe in California, the great lakes area, Florida, etc.
What is the point of moving them there when they wouldnt be able to go fast because of the state of the tracks.. :( Remember in USA tracks are owned by private companies which haul only freight, they dont need super big speeds, creating tracks and maintaining them for anything above 80 MPH is pointless throwing of money from their point of view.
@@KuvDabGib the tracks in California are actually of quite decent quality for passenger travel, at least there. And of course moving the trainsets would also involve adapting the route (namely to electrify it), but in general it would be good to expand level of service in regions other than the northeast if train travel is to be profitable and useful in the US
@@KuvDabGib Look at how much Illinois has spent upgrading a few corridors to 110 mph top speed with Amtrak Midwest services. To go faster Illinois balked at the significant cost increase to build over passes and under passes to every farm along their lines in the vast Corn Belt...There aren't as many trees in Illinois as the eastern seaborne.
@@ronclark9724 I live in Europe, we have high speed tracks all across the continent, freight or no freight, so for me.. it doesnt make sense to not use them or not to even build them... But USA has different logic & money policy...
Some has suggested original Acela train sets will be downgraded to Regional trains but lack of capacity will likely kill that less than brilliant idea.
The Acela trains look Nice and the price of the Tickets seem very reasonable. I do like when the train stops near the exiting escalator . I don't care the New Moynihan station as one has to walk the platform After leaving the train.
I agree that it's a shame to see these trains headed for retirement so soon. The Avelia liberty is definitely needed for the premium services but I'd have liked to see some cascading of rolling stock. Take out the 1st class & buisness interiors, fill these trains with coach seats and run them (even in multiple as 12 car sets) as additional capacity on the Northeast regional or keystone services.
The Acela trainsets have been run hard over their active service and would need a major expensive overhaul to repurpose them. And even then they could only operate on the NEC and Amtrak already has brand new intercity trainsets on order for corridor service from Siemens for the Regional and Keystone services to replace the Amfleets
They're falling apart and really expensive to maintain cuz there aren't many spare parts available due to the manufacturer not being around anymore. They're also really slow and heavy which hurts the tracks.
13:56 At least you got 0.5Mbps+ throughout your speed test! EMR in the UK are worse than this, with the Wi-Fi on their Class 22x trains hardly connecting at all.
@@connecticutmultimodaltrans8226 the fares on the Midland Mainline are high too, over £25 to travel half an hour (between a town and a city in the Midlands), a distance of approximately 35 miles. Or if going south to London, an anytime day return is over £100. So not exactly cheap!
@@TheSpotify95 It's about 5:30 PM here, an Acela NYC-DC at 6 PM is $263 for 225 miles. both countries' rail prices are absurd. here the long-distance services are MUCH cheaper but take a long time and are often very late.
fares are very misleading. Walk up fares are typically amongst the highest in the world, even on Acela Regional trains. Very little capacity offered so trains can be filled at high fares. The bottom 80 percent must use buses or regional trains, where they exist.
It seems to me that if there were more competition to Amtrak the Train service in this country would be compatible to services world wide.it's sad to see the amount of high speed train service here vs the rest of the world it can and someday way too late be a option to flying. thanks for taking the time to do the video Dylan and for sharing. ECF
No, it doesn't work, except the competitors built separate rail from Amtrak, if they share same track, it's just bring more congestion in American railroad What your government should do is buying tracks from your private freight railroad and give it to Amtrak to operate and maintaining it, I still cannot believe in 51 years your government still choose to subsidize Amtrak rather than buying tracks for them
Poor Eli never getting the window seat :) That's an interesting bit of trivia about Philadelphia. I was thought that DC, Boston, or even LA would be the second largest city in the US. Having never been to the US, nor having any desire to do so, I only Philly in terms of cheesesteak, a cracked bell, and the excellent 1993 movie of the same name, starring Tom Hanks.
The line to Boston has comparatively poor times and is not worth the price is commands normally. I was shocked you only paid $49 as I paid more for just the regular service round trip. Many of the conditions and standards on Amtrak would be deemed unacceptable in Europe but here in America we have no other option and there's little incentive to make improvements
Seems like if Amtrak has any failings, it's that it can often run late -- however you got lucky with only 5 minutes behind schedule.
$49 is quite a steal for this route, IMO. Looks like a very comfortable ride.
Thanks for the video, Dylan. See you on Monday!
I've heard it's not at all uncommon to be 30+mins late on this route, so I guess I did a bit. Seems like a good service overall though.
@@DylansTravelReports The NEC is very busy with a lot of regional trains and has a lot of aging infrastructure which causes delays
Acela ride is bumpy, wobbly and far from smooth especially when it hits top speed in Rhode Island where it feels like the train will derail at any moment. (Sam Jennings, retired Acela Express Conductor)
@@samtrak1204 Goes to show how underfunded Amtrak is relative to other forms of transit.
Of course, if you have a frozen pizza and a lousy Bud Light you can double that cost...
I'm glad viewership is increased when it comes to your vlogs. More to come & more power to you.
Nice video! I’ve taken this train, many a time with an occasional stop over in Philly.
As you pointed out it’s a fast convenient way to travel on the East Coast, especially between NYC and DC - beats flying.
By the way, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station is quite nice! Not grand, but like a jewel box.
Amtrak Acela actually wins the market share of passengers Washington to New York City with the less than three hours train journey, but does not with the four hour train journey New York City to Boson market share war with the airlines. Acela loses badly with the market share battle with the Washington to Boston nearly seven hour train journey... As Amtrak numbers reveal, HSR fares well up to around a three hour train journey, but loses the market share beyond around three hours.., The sweet spot for competitive HSR is around three hours...NUMBERS DON'T LIE!
@@ronclark9724 Makes sense. This reminds me of the old Eastern Airlines Shuttle. I recall making a trip from LGA to DCA on Eastern - the fare was $30 o/w? It was great, no reservations and you could pay on board. Too many people? They would roll out another plane. Those hassle free days are gone.😏
Love the quick glimpse of Aberdeen station at 11:18, spent many hours there waiting for trains.
I live in Baltimore and take Amtrak every now and then. Nice to see Baltimore represented on your channel, even though the route through Btown is going through some very bleak neighborhoods.
With Amtrak you see America, both the front yards and the back yards, the good and the ugly...
Nice video! I remember the original Penn Central Metroliner and the thrill of seeing them race by (when they still had street grades/crossings way back). The Acela looks nice, clean and ride appeared smooth.
Great video. I have only done this trip once in a very snowy February. It is nice to see the scenery in the warmer months. That being said, a nice benefit of travelling in the colder months is that there were very few people in the business class carriage and I manage to get one of the booths.
I do like the Washington DC underground, few stations though it may have, it always seems modern and futuristic. Did you do any video specifically on this?
we call it the metro here :)
One of my most memorable journeys on Amtrak was taking an evening train, the Boston Banker from Penn station to Boston...thankfully it wasn't a very long journey, but boy did it shaked, rocked and rolled, and not in a good way! That was some years ago, so lets hope that they've improved the tracks.
12:58 your right, if you do it without the staff’s permission. Because the amtrak staff let me explore business class on the Pacific Surfliner after I asked them. Then again, the Acela is a “premium service” so I’m not sure that the same rules apply.
I enjoyed this video. I've never been on any trains except the subway in Toronto, Montreal, NJ, Washington DC, and Paris France. I've often been fascinated with train travel and I hope to do this someday.
You were in France and you didn't take a TGV? :(
This is perfect for commuter trips for people working in New York or Washington DC or day trips for tourists and wonderful views along the way.
If they don't run late like mine did on a day trip between DC and Wilmington. The night service was 2 hours late arriving at my station. Try trying to fill time in at a station where the shop and customer service had shut at night in a sketchy part of town (Wilmington).
Very nice Dylan. Well we crossed paths again. You came right thru my home town of Philadelphia. It doesn't look good via the rails. We do photograph well. DC's old station has aged well. 30th St. Station isn't bad either, unless you're trying to get to it or out of it. I can let you in on a tidbit that locals know. This train service has to be good because that's how many politicians get back & forth to our capital. Biden took it regularly. I was waiting to hear you pronounce our Native American names. You did manage Susquehanna quite well. Natives love to help out. We'd get you thru all of them. Don't be afraid to ask. Think of Maryland the same way you'd say Marylebone. Thanks again for a nice ride on the rails. I missed you last Monday. I couldn't find your post anywhere. Enjoy your weekend.
I remember this train from Microsoft Train Simulator. I rode this train once several years later. I loved every second of the ride; it was quite comfortable and I could remember some of the route details, MSTS seemed to be pretty accurate for its time.
Bravo.. bravo.. loved that you named amtrak a scotrail service!! the entertainment system doesn't work unless you plug your headphones in.
Great video overall. I cannot wait to see your comparison between acela express and the traditional amtrack offer.
you might also consider reviewing your flight . As you must have taken a flight to the us from the uk I would be interesting to have your opinion on it.
I agree that these are better trains than their reputation would suggest. The track itself let them down for a while but Amtrak has been making improvements to the worst areas, which has improved the ride quality. I think most people prefer the look of these vs. the new Avelia Liberty trains, which both look more "European" and also have locomotives that don't match the profile of the cars in between; they look mismatched. I've never ridden high speed trains in Europe but I have ridden Japanese Shinkansen trains pretty extensively, and overall I'd put the Acela Express experience right up there in comparison. It's just not quite as fast.
Agree on everything except the look of the Avelia Liberties. The more I see them the more they grow on me.
But yes, the Acela is a widely under-appreciated service. The trains are great and incredibly comfortable in typical Amtrak fashion. Amtrak’s seats and pitch never disappoint. You immediately know why the Acela is more expensive than flying when you first sit down.
But I really do think that the Avelias will greatly improve the service. As soon as they are introduced Amtrak will be able to increase top speeds from 150mph to 160mph. Their faster acceleration will also allow for time savings elsewhere on the route. And with Amtrak planning to eventually upgrade all the 125+mph high speed sections to 160mph, we’ll start seeing a very different experience on the Acela in a few (or more) years.
Who knows, maybe Amtrak will even find some sections where the Avelias can fully stretch to their 186mph top speed at some point.
Great video as always, I’m actually doing the reverse trip in October. Have to agree with the prices though they are a bit steep
I travelled on Amtrak from New York Penn to Boston Back Bay in July 2021 and we were allowed to select our seats in Business Class with an airplane style seat map on the website at booking
When our daughter lived in downtown Manhattan, we took the Northeast Regional from Charlottesville, VA to New York Penn Station. I was always surprised by the big increase in price for the Acela service for only 30 minutes of time advantage from Washington to New York. Now that she lives on Staten Island, it is more convenient to drive since it is such a chore to get from Penn Station to Staten Island and parking is not a problem.
Great work. Makes me really want to take a trip here soon.
Thanks 😁
How is it 13 days ago when the video has been up for half a hour
@@ChetNotJet backers get early access
I lived in MA for about 7 years, Boston is a gorgeous city. Make sure to visit little Italy for amazing pizza.
I took the Acela from Baltimore to New York last June and i say the Wi-Fi i actually quite fast and was even able to watch Disney+ on their with no problem. Also the ride is comparatively more rough compared to a airplane but it isn’t as loud as a jetliner.
I will look forward if you complete the trip to Boston.America looks huge and different...like different countries all in one??????
Fantastic report! Welcome to old Sweden when passing Delaware, it belonged to Sweden 1638-1655.
Was waiting for this!
Thank you, for covering my bucket list as I'm disabled mot able to travel.
Hi Dylan. I have been following you for a long time now, and wondered "of all of the thousands of stations you have been to, which is the most impressive"?
For me it has to be the cathedral known as St. Pancras.
I don't think I can pick a favourite! There are many beautiful stations but in different ways
The Susquehanna River begins in Cooperstown, NY, flowing out of lake Otsego. It zig zags through New York State (not two miles from my boyhood home) and Pennsylvania.
While the Acela engines are loosely based on the TGV, the carriages are derived from Via Rail's LRC system - a less impressive lineage, but it makes them (very distantly) related to the Super Voyager! (The new trains are, apparently a cross between the next-generation TGV and the Pendolino.)
Quite funny that the PA chime for the Acela is the same as that for the Pacific Surfliner!
I've never ridden the Acela service (or any east coast service for that matter) but it seems a very good way to get around the northeast. I'm guessing that the travel time from downtown Washington to mid-town Manhattan can't be much different between Acela and an airline (maybe quicker?). Even at $80 the price can't be much different either. Great video!
It actually takes the same amount of time
@@johndasey8427 It used to be fairly quick by plane. If you time it right, it's only about an hour and half.
I used to go from Boston to NY in less than an hour for $42. No reservations, no names, id or tickets. Just get on and pay in cash. The flight attendant had to be quick to collect the cash before it landed.
@@firesurfer well you have to account for security and actually getting to nyc from the airport it adds and extra 2 and a half hours so train is about the same tine
I think the Acela is nice, but the upgrades are needed to make it a true high speed rail. The new trains will do just that. We need more high-speed rail like this. People need to realize that the US Can have a better rail system
True, but it's just not economical in the US. It's generally easier or cheaper (if not both) to fly between cities
@@somebody5332 have you heard of something called climate change
@@somebody5332 You don’t need the blanket the entire country with it. There are a number of regions where it would make plenty of sense, like the Texas Triangle.
@@somebody5332 It absolutely is economical in the US. There is a reason they are building it in the Northeast Corridor in the first place. America has several regions with cities pack closely together that are perfect for HSR, like Texas, California, Cascades, Florida, etc. Amtrak makes most of their money in the dense northeast.
New trains won’t magically fix issues with the NE corridor itself/make it a “true” high speed service, no matter how fast it could theoretically go, much more investment is needed such as a dedicated corridor like in Texas/California
Neat vid! Nice to see the 'train arriving' platform lights still work in DC. You were rather fortunate station security didn't get excited at you filming in Union Stn... Curious: what GPS app do you use to check train speeds...?
wanted to ask about that app too!
It's called Speedometer, it's on Google Play
@@DylansTravelReports thanks, already installed! Ping me for a pint when passing by Austria or Slovakia :)
Hmm, I was pleasantly surprised at that too. I also thought that America's rail network was more geared towards freight than passengers, so to have a line of even 200kmph is pretty decent in my opinion!
Also, those trains look quite respectable, at least compared to other trains I've seen, so if they were to be retired, I'd suggest re-using them elsewhere, or shipping them to another country - they're far too good for scrap.
The line between DC-NY-Boston is primarily for passenger rail, so delays are less common and speeds are higher. It is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to US passenger rail
These trains were ridden/used _a lot_ , and are at the end of their service life (also there probably are no new spare parts to keep them running, as the company that made it, Bombardier, is now Alstom.)
Simply put the only suitable electrified line capable of running Acela is the Keystone line from Philadelphia to Harrisburg... Unfortunately the regional trains run further to Pittsburgh, so it makes sense for Amtrak to upgrade this route with the new Siemens diesels and coaches similar to Florida's Brightline...
@@ronclark9724 I thought they were going to use some Charger derivative that runs off of catenary, no? The Chargers are just US-spec Siemens Vectrons with a Cummins engine providing traction electrical power instead of the wire. One would think that making them accept catenary power is trivial.
There used to be a circular bar/restaurant in the middle of the great hall. It was great!!
It’s in pretty good shape considering it’s been in service since 2000. Ever since riding the Japanese Bullet train more times than I can count. I would take a high speed rail any day over flying, unless it’s like a 5 hours or longer as planes are usually faster for that distance.
Great experience, we ve take that train one time in the past!
Another fantastic video
Thanks!
13 days ago? Sus
@@rubenmc6347 have Patreon mate get 2 weeks early access
Dylan
You didn't mention the baby changing table in your review of the rest room. Please remember to do this in the future, It/s important even for grandparents like me!
Thanks, I'll try to keep this in mind!
Is there a reason you took a left side seat? I find the right to be better because you don't see the tracks all the time, even though the right side is completely blocked by fences/trees/walls some of the time.
Thanks for the ride to New York.
A cheaper concrete and much smaller interpretation of the Union station ceiling can be found in the tiny station of Oldenzaal NL. It is now a very special restaurant. You can still take the commuter train to Hengelo or the train to Bielefeld Germany.
A long time ago it was the last stop before the German border for the International boat train from London to Moscow, starting in Hook of Holland. Now this is the train Amsterdam to Berlin. It no longer stops at Oldenzaal.
The Oldenzaal platforms are not long enough for an ICM. In rare winter conditions in the past an ICM was used and the conductor prevented you from getting out the last exit.
Where is the Moynihan Train Hall at 22:59, Dylan's Travel Reports ?
I noticed four other train operators en route: MARC, SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATH. Maybe you also observed Virginia Rail Express in Union Station and the Washington Metro. Had you been sitting on the right side of the train, you would have noticed the Philadelphia art museum whose steps were made famous in the movie Rocky. Sorry to inform or remind you, but Philadelphia was the epicenter of American independence. I rode Acela only once, when for some reason it was cheaper that day than the conventional Northeast Corridor service between New York and Washington. Too bad, but the train broke down at New Brunswick, and its passengers had to squeeze into a regular train.
Great one Dylan 👍
Thanks!
Thank you. Did you post on Monday?
thanks for the beautiful video Dylan's Reindert From Suriname
great video dylan mate
Wonderful Compilation
Thanks!
It's nice to see Amtrak at least has some decent track. A lot of the rails in the States resemble roller coasters.
This is obviously the better side of American trains.
Thanks Dylan. Nice video
Meh, it's okay. Can get really rattly and rough at times. Still have to hang onto things even on Acela.
Why does the whole experience looks like a flight? Like, boarding gates and conveyor belts in a train station? Overhead bins in a train?
Does it matter?
@@Neville60001 I’m asking lol. That’s not how it is in the rest of the world and it doesn’t seem normal
@@DimitrisSartzetakis, it matters not a whit that it looks like a flight, especially since (from my observation) nmost HSR is like a flight to begin with; that's just how (North) Americans are ('different strokes' and all that.)
@@Neville60001 It does, its impractical and inconvenient also very inefficient.
I love the Acela I even have a whole on model of it
For your next future train trip, if you were to travel to Canada and you want to ride on Via Rail, then maybe you can ride on The Canadian leaving Vancouver on Day 1 and arriving in Toronto on Day 4 and the same for The Ocean leaving Montreal during the evening and arriving in Halifax the next evening.
Nice video . Thanks
Dylan I have a question regarding your video, at about 17:03 you panned the camera towards the seats in front of you. On top of the seat it appears like money is clipped on the seat tops ?? Also when you had your phone out and showing the actual speed of the train, what app were you using ? Great video and lots of interesting facts.
Cool video buddy
Thanks!
erm, I think Philadelphia is pretty well known "historically" for something other than as an industrial centre.
I just took Acela this weekend and also paid $49 each way thanks to the sale they ran a while back. Unfortunately the system came crashing down on Monday thanks to a drunk driver. So I had to take a bus home. That was quite dire
THANK YOU.. most enjoyable
Personally, I think Acela is a waste of money in most cases. The Northeast Regional is fine on this route.
Tip: If going between New York and Washington, try to get the Palmetto (trains 89/90). This usually has more comfortable Amfleet II equipment and pricing is in line with the Regional trains.
The Pennsylvanian can also take you between New York and Philadelphia and it also has Amfleet II equipment, but be aware that between New York-Philadelphia (and vice-versa) the trains do essentially run backwards.
This thing is built like a tank lol - 565 tonnes! Hopefully the NE corridor gets dedicated high speed rail instead of rolling stock replacements and minor upgrades (looks pretty unlikely though)
The next generation Acela is already undergoing testing. It is more or less an off the shelf TGV with the Pendolino tilt system included. Look up Avelia Liberty and you'll find all kinds of info on it.
@@mj1234321 thats what i was referring to by investing in a dedicated high speed rail corridor like in Texas or California (not the greatest example lol) instead of just new trains/upgrades, as the limitations of the route itself remains, looks amazing though!
Yeah the reason the new Acela sets are taking so long is because the NEC is falling apart and the train can't take the old power system, catenary, and tracks.
No wonder they are retired so soon: heavy train + high speed = more tear. ICE 1, TGV Sud-Est, and X2000 are still in service.
@@connecticutmultimodaltrans8226, hence why the old Acela was built like a tank.
Amtrak being on time is interesting i always knew Amtraks time table being quite questionable but well they cant help it most of the track is owned by the freight companies
As you said, most of the track. The Northeast Corridor is an exception, as it is owned by Amtrak themselves.
Hahah listening to Dylan pronouncing American names is like me trying to pronounce Welsh names :P
20+ years in service, but remember it runs in all kinds of weather, the route to Boston runs along the salt water Long Island Sound most of the way across Connecticut. Plus on the fastest part (that’s north of New York) going stop speed can cause the whole train to vibrate in a rather unsettling way. I preferred the “slow” train, and only took the Acela because the pricing on a round trip was not all that much different.
Dylan you need try the Amtrak maple leaf to Toronto Canada
I was just going to say the same thing (I also want him to try the _Ocean_ [Montreal to Halifax] and the _Canadian_ [Toronto to Vancouver.]) Plus, I want him to come here to Toronto and take the GO (Government of Ontario) Transit train from Toronto to Niagara Falls.
Maybe I misheard, but Thurgood Marshall" is pronounced as spelled, not "through good".
I've literally gotten 10 dollar tickets on the Northeast Regional from Philly to NYC in the past. It's a way better deal. Acela is cool though, and its significance for American Rail History will be remembered for generations.
I would recommend that anyone riding from Washington northward, you should sit on the right side. Much better views!
I thought it was a lovely adventure!
Too bad you couldn't continue on to Boston. That part of the journey is quite beautiful and involves the fastest speeds on the route.
This seems like Amtrak is on the right track (pun intended) by offering a deluxe high speed train as an option for business people. Too bad this kind of service is not offered anywhere else in the system. The Regional trains offer an excellent service, a little slower, a lot cheaper. I noticed there is no food service, at this price and level of service there should be. Good report Dylan !
There absolutely is food service. He shows it in the video. Also, in first class (which I don't fault him for not really talking about), the food service is at-seat if you want it.
@@ModernClassic My bad ! I meant that there is no at seat service , such as a cart with sandwiches,etc. There is such a service on some trains and most all Canadian VIA Rail trains. I realize you can go to the food service car and get what you need. Sorry.
Lindo trem amtrak gostei 👍 Dylans bom acela
Dylan or anyone else, what is the speedo app you are using. The only ones I can find have an analogue dial. That digital one looks good and ready to read.
It's on Google Play as Speedometer
Not sure these ones tilt do they? The ones that are replacing them will, though
6:14 well, that’s sort of true, during the pandemic, amtrak introduced reserved seating on the northeast regional I believe a couple more regional services, I’m not sure if that is offered anymore
Only on Regional Business Class which isn't worth it
How does Acela ride quality compare with TGV, Frecciasrossa, AVE or ICE?
It doesn’t. Trust me.
Utter crap in comparison due to heaviness of trainset and bad infrastructure.
Judge by what Dylan said and not by the two yahoos who were putting it down, Sam.
@@Neville60001 I have to agree with the two yahoos. I was conductor on Acela many times during my 30-year career at Amtrak and the ride was bumpy, jerky and noisy... especially at top speeds. Amtrak crews hated Acela train sets which were plagued with chronic breakdowns and mechanical problems from the get go.
@@Neville60001 Yeah definitely trust the person who used it once than someone who lives on the Northeast Corridor and knows firsthand the state of the infrastructure and trainsets. I'm telling you, they're falling apart.
The Acela is a fine service. I've been on it a few times and it doesn't disappoint. What's really holding this service back is the 100-year-old infrastructure. You can't get high enough speeds to achieve high speed rail status and it's a shame since this is Amtrak's most profitable route. With the new trains, service speeds in RI, MAS, and NJ will see speeds of around 160/165 miles an hour and some places in Maryland and Pennsylvania will see speeds increase to around 145/150 miles an hour thanks to track and catenary upgrades. The tickets can be expensive at times, and I would sometimes take the regional since its cheaper, but the Acela defiantly fits the "Too long to drive and too short to fly" narrative
great video
Thanks!
I been to DC last month
I feel like it would be a good idea for Amtrak to move these trainsets to other viable mid-high speed routes, instead of entirely retiring them from service. Maybe in California, the great lakes area, Florida, etc.
What is the point of moving them there when they wouldnt be able to go fast because of the state of the tracks.. :(
Remember in USA tracks are owned by private companies which haul only freight, they dont need super big speeds, creating tracks and maintaining them for anything above 80 MPH is pointless throwing of money from their point of view.
@@KuvDabGib the tracks in California are actually of quite decent quality for passenger travel, at least there. And of course moving the trainsets would also involve adapting the route (namely to electrify it), but in general it would be good to expand level of service in regions other than the northeast if train travel is to be profitable and useful in the US
@@pepsdeps it will not happen for multiple reasons, but mainly because it is risky investment. Unfortunately.
@@KuvDabGib Look at how much Illinois has spent upgrading a few corridors to 110 mph top speed with Amtrak Midwest services. To go faster Illinois balked at the significant cost increase to build over passes and under passes to every farm along their lines in the vast Corn Belt...There aren't as many trees in Illinois as the eastern seaborne.
@@ronclark9724 I live in Europe, we have high speed tracks all across the continent, freight or no freight, so for me.. it doesnt make sense to not use them or not to even build them... But USA has different logic & money policy...
Some has suggested original Acela train sets will be downgraded to Regional trains but lack of capacity will likely kill that less than brilliant idea.
They can always be upseated
@@wharris302 Yeah, cram the peasants in sardines in a tin cans.
The Acela trains look Nice and the price of the Tickets seem very reasonable. I do like when the train stops near the exiting escalator . I don't care the New Moynihan station as one has to walk the platform After leaving the train.
Does this train service provide on-train meal free (or "included in ticket price" to be exact) just like air flight?
No, not unless you have a First Class ticket
Great trip.
Thanks!
12:51: I feel like there's a story behind this that wasn't told in your 2019 series of Amtrak videos.
Dylan, you got to get on the newer amtrak train..
Doesn't start revenue service til at least fall 2023 😭😭
@@connecticutmultimodaltrans8226 but I am hearing it has started in a few places as test runs.
@@sherlocksteve9109 yes but the infrastructure is bad and the French designed train can't handle it
Cost of living crisis clearley not affecting you.I struggle to afford a day return to York from Newcastle lol
It's a lot of saving up and finding cheap deals. It's not an abundance of wealth.
6:34 what is that, a fidget spinner for your Feet? haha
I agree that it's a shame to see these trains headed for retirement so soon.
The Avelia liberty is definitely needed for the premium services but I'd have liked to see some cascading of rolling stock. Take out the 1st class & buisness interiors, fill these trains with coach seats and run them (even in multiple as 12 car sets) as additional capacity on the Northeast regional or keystone services.
The Acela trainsets have been run hard over their active service and would need a major expensive overhaul to repurpose them. And even then they could only operate on the NEC and Amtrak already has brand new intercity trainsets on order for corridor service from Siemens for the Regional and Keystone services to replace the Amfleets
They're falling apart and really expensive to maintain cuz there aren't many spare parts available due to the manufacturer not being around anymore. They're also really slow and heavy which hurts the tracks.
@@connecticutmultimodaltrans8226 Isn't fast and heavy more hurtful to the tracks?
Anthony, the other places you want this train to be used in have to be electrified first.
@@Neville60001 Northeast corridor and keystone corridor are both electrified
13:56 At least you got 0.5Mbps+ throughout your speed test! EMR in the UK are worse than this, with the Wi-Fi on their Class 22x trains hardly connecting at all.
but the fares on the Acela are usually very high.
@@connecticutmultimodaltrans8226 the fares on the Midland Mainline are high too, over £25 to travel half an hour (between a town and a city in the Midlands), a distance of approximately 35 miles. Or if going south to London, an anytime day return is over £100. So not exactly cheap!
@@TheSpotify95 It's about 5:30 PM here, an Acela NYC-DC at 6 PM is $263 for 225 miles. both countries' rail prices are absurd. here the long-distance services are MUCH cheaper but take a long time and are often very late.
4 hours Boston to DC! Four days to Los Angeles.
fares are very misleading. Walk up fares are typically amongst the highest in the world, even on Acela Regional trains. Very little capacity offered so trains can be filled at high fares. The bottom 80 percent must use buses or regional trains, where they exist.
It seems to me that if there were more competition to Amtrak the Train service in this country would be compatible to services world wide.it's sad to see the amount of high speed train service here vs the rest of the world it can and someday way too late be a option to flying. thanks for taking the time to do the video Dylan and for sharing. ECF
No, it doesn't work, except the competitors built separate rail from Amtrak, if they share same track, it's just bring more congestion in American railroad
What your government should do is buying tracks from your private freight railroad and give it to Amtrak to operate and maintaining it, I still cannot believe in 51 years your government still choose to subsidize Amtrak rather than buying tracks for them
20:22 - you definitely reached this conclusion because you hadn't ridden north of NYC...
Poor Eli never getting the window seat :) That's an interesting bit of trivia about Philadelphia. I was thought that DC, Boston, or even LA would be the second largest city in the US. Having never been to the US, nor having any desire to do so, I only Philly in terms of cheesesteak, a cracked bell, and the excellent 1993 movie of the same name, starring Tom Hanks.
Just to clarify, he said 2nd largest on the US east coast and 6th in the US. New York, LA, and Chicago are the top 3.
Anyone who ever played the original Train Simulator from 2001 are experts at driving an Acela!
The line to Boston has comparatively poor times and is not worth the price is commands normally. I was shocked you only paid $49 as I paid more for just the regular service round trip. Many of the conditions and standards on Amtrak would be deemed unacceptable in Europe but here in America we have no other option and there's little incentive to make improvements
Now that the mandate is lifted
"Mary Land" eh?