Acela
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 Acela Express Locomotive #2035 at New Haven. | |||||
| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city high speed rail | ||||
| Status | Operating | ||||
| Locale | Northeastern United States | ||||
| First service | 2000-12-11 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Amtrak | ||||
| Ridership | 3.19 million (2007 fiscal year) | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Boston, Massachusetts Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Stops | 14 | ||||
| Distance travelled | 456 mi (734 km) | ||||
| Average journey time | 7 hours | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | Business and first class | ||||
| Disabled access | Fully accessible | ||||
| Seating arrangements | Airline-style coach seating | ||||
| Catering facilities | On-board café | ||||
| Baggage facilities | Checked baggage available at selected stations | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||||
| Operating speed | 150 mph (240 km/h) maximum 86 mph (138 km/h) average | ||||
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Acela Express (often called simply Acela) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed tilting train service operating between Washington, D.C. and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeast United States. The tilting design allows the train to travel at higher speeds on the sharply curved NEC without disturbing passengers, by lowering lateral centrifugal forces,[1] based on the concept of banked turns. Acela Express trains are the only true high-speed trainsets in the United States. This has made the trains very popular, and by some reckoning, Amtrak has captured over half of the market share of travelers between Washington and New York.[2] In fiscal year 2006, a total of 2,668,174 passengers rode Acela, an 8.8% year-over-year increase.[3]
Name
The Acela name (pronounced "ah-cel-la" [ə'sɛlə] or "ack-cel-la" [ək'sɛlə]) was announced on March 9, 1999, and was originally intended as a rebranding of most of Amtrak's Northeast services, forming three levels: Acela Express; Acela Regional; and Acela Commuter.[4] The name "Acela" is meant to be evocative of acceleration and excellence.
At that time, there were three classes of trains on the Northeast Corridor (and its extension south to Newport News, Virginia)—the hourly Philadelphia-New York Clockers, the express Metroliners, and the umbrella term NortheastDirect, applied to all other local trains on the corridor (in addition to unique names assigned to each departure). Empire Service trains used the Empire Corridor from New York City to Niagara Falls, and Keystone Service ran along the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. Other named trains also used the corridors, branching off or continuing beyond their stations.
The original plan to included renaming the Empire, Keystone and NortheastDirect services to Acela Regional, while the Metroliners would be replaced with the new Acela Express service. However, the Empire and Keystone services retained their original names.
The Acela Regional name was first applied to NortheastDirect trains 130-133 on January 31, 2000. Those trains, 130 and 131 running weekdays only and 132 and 133 running every day, were the first electrified trains to run on the full Northeast Corridor.[5][6] As more trains were electrified, they too were rebranded.
In 2003, due to confusion between the lower-speed Acela Regional trains and the Acela Express, the Acela branding was removed from the NortheastDirect service (now the Northeast Regional) and the Acela Commuter had its name changed back to the Clocker for a similar reason and ultimately discontinued on October 28, 2005.[7]
The need for speed
The dense population of the Northeastern United States makes the Northeast Corridor the most heavily-traveled portion of the American passenger rail system. Two-thirds of rail passengers in the United States live in New York City, also home to the nation's busiest rail passenger station, Penn Station. In order to compete with airliners, Amtrak needed to increase the speed of trains in the region. However, the former Shore Line, from New Haven to Boston, is burdened by sharp turns and grade crossings that prevented regular trains from achieving high speeds. There was little support for building an entirely new railway as had been done for Japan's Shinkansen (AKA: Bullet Train) and France's TGV.
In October 1994, Amtrak requested bids from train manufacturers who could design railroad cars that could negotiate the crowded system at up to 150 miles per hour (241 km/h). A joint project set up by Bombardier (75%) and Alstom (25%) was selected for the project in March 1996.
Tilting enables passengers to ride more comfortably on curved sections of track faster than would otherwise be possible, by leaning into the bend. The technology has been implemented on other service lines such the Virgin Trains Pendolino British Rail Class 390 trains which run at a speed of 125mph (201km/h) on Britain's Victorian era rail lines. Acela trainsets tilt above 60 mph on most of the system, but some segments of track in the Northeast Corridor are too close together for the carriages to safely tilt while maintaining FRA minimum space between trains on parallel tracks. Furthermore, Metro-North Railroad restricts tilting on the segment of track north of New York owned by them. While the system was originally designed for a 6.8° tilt, the cars were redesigned 4 inches wider to accommodate wider seats and aisles that reduced allowable tilt to a more modest 4.2° to fit within the clearance constraints of the existing tracks.[8][9] Travelling at higher than 135 mph also requires constant-tension catenary, which is only implemented on the more modern catenary system north of New York. South of New York the trains are restricted to 135 mph. By comparison, Northeast Regional and the defunct Metroliner service reach 124 mph. Acela trainsets can achieve 200 mph but are restricted to 150 mph due to track conditions, other traffic, and other factors.
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High-speed service was originally expected in late 1999, but various problems appeared. The catenary system was not able to support the speeds originally intended between Washington and New York, but the more modern system between New York and Boston allows the higher speeds. A brief political controversy drew attention to the decreased 4.2° tilt, but this was not to be the root of the speed problem, as the tracks from New York to Boston are similar to those between New York and Washington, and the tilt mechanism is not the factor that allows the high speeds.[10][11][12] After a series of delays, the first Acela Express service began on December 11, 2000, a year behind schedule.[13]
With the completion of electrification between New Haven and Boston, all trains on the line have become faster; one can travel between Boston and New York in just over three and a half hours on Acela Express (an improvement of half an hour). New York to Washington runs take two hours and forty-five minutes. These schedules, as well as the relative convenience of rail as opposed to air travel especially after September 11, 2001, and direct downtown-to-downtown service have made the Acela Express more competitive with the Northeast air shuttles.
Operating speeds and limitations
High-speed rail is usually defined as traveling faster than 200 km/h, or about 124 mph, such as found on Japan's Shinkansen trains which average more than 125 mph (201 km/h), France’s high speed TGV trains which average 173 mph (278 km/h), Germany’s ICE which average 153 mph (246 km/h), and South Korea’s which average 125 mph (201 km/h).[14] At an average speed of 86 miles per hour (140 km/h), the Acela Express is not significantly faster than the Denver Zephyr service that ran at an average speed of 77 mph (124 km/h) between Chicago and Denver in the early 1960s. The highest speed attained by Acela Express is 150 mph (241 km/h) on two sections of track in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, which total 18 miles (29 km). There are also many miles of track, especially east of New Haven, that have been upgraded to allow a maximum speed of 110 mph or 125 mph (177 km/h or 201 km/h). South of New York, Acela Express is limited to 135 mph (217 km/h), with many stretches of 125 mph (201 km/h) limits. Several stretches of track there are straight enough to allow 150 mph (241 km/h) speeds. However, the overhead catenary support system which was constructed during the Great Depression, lacks the constant-tension features of the new catenary east of New Haven, and cannot support running speeds over 135 mph (217 km/h). In the late 1960s, the Pennsylvania Railroad did run Metroliner test trains as fast as 164 miles per hour (264 km/h) and briefly ran the Metroliner service at speeds reaching 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).[citation needed]
The slowest section of the electrified NEC is the portion owned by Metro-North Railroad and the Connecticut Department of Transportation between New Haven and New Rochelle. Trains here are limited to only 90 mph (145 km/h) on a four mile (6 km) stretch in New York State, and to 75 mph (121 km/h) between the New York state line and New Haven. Additionally, tilting is not allowed anywhere on Metro-North or ConnDOT (Connecticut Dept. of Transportation) property. At a maximum 4.2° tilt,[1] the Acela Express trainset would pass other trains on parallel tracks only 10 inches (25 cm) away, which is too close for FRA-mandated clearances. ConnDOT has a number of projects either planned or underway that will upgrade the catenary system, replace outdated bridges, and straighten certain sections of the New Haven Line to eventually enable the Acela trains to run at their 150 mph (240 km/h) top speed.
The scheduled transit time for the 5:00 a.m. departure from Washington, D.C. (the quickest stopping pattern) to Boston's South Station on Acela Express service is roughly 6 hours 36 minutes. Allowing for the fifteen minute scheduled layover in New York City, the average speed is 72 mph (116 km/h) for the 456 mi (734 km) trip. For the 225 mi (362 km) journey between Washington, D.C. and New York's Penn Station, the transit time is 2 hours 48 minutes, an average speed of 80 mph (129 km/h). If the Acela were upgraded to an average speed of 125 mph (200 km/h), the current six and a half hour journey between Boston and Washington, D.C. would be just under four hours and 45 minutes.
On July 9, 2007 Amtrak introduced two limited-stop trains. Train 2105 left New York Penn Station at 6:50 AM, made only one stop in Philadelphia, and arrived in Washington at 9:25 AM. Northbound, train 2120 departed Washington at 3:55 PM, stopped in Philadelphia, and arrived in New York at 6:30 PM. This shortened the trip between the two cities to just 2 hours and 35 minutes, making the trip roughly an hour faster than some of the Regional train services. These trains were an experiment on Amtrak's part to find ways to expedite travel time on the Acela despite the speed restrictions on certain parts of the line. Amtrak has since dropped these two limited-stop trains. In the Amtrak Northeast Corridor 1 train schedule effective August 4, 2008, trains 2105 and 2120 are not listed.[15]
Train design
The Acela trainset is a unique train designed specifically for the special needs of the United States Northeast Corridor. Although the design of the trains, with identical 6,000 horsepower (4,474 kW) power cars at each end which operate on a voltage of 11,000 volts AC, and either 25 or 60 Hertz (cycles per second) frequency, resemble France's TGV, the only components directly derived from the TGV are the 4 asynchronous AC traction electric motors (per power car). The tilting carriages are based upon Bombardier's earlier LRC trains rather than the TGV's articulated trailers, and the locomotives and passenger cars are much heavier than those of the TGV in order to meet the United States Federal Railroad Administration's different approach to rail crash standards. The Tier II crash standards, adopted in 1999, have also resulted in the passenger cars being designed without steps and trapdoors, which means that the trainsets can only serve stations with high-level platforms—this currently restricts them to lines with high-level platforms such as the Northeast Corridor. Acela trains are semi-permanently coupled and are referred to as trainsets. Bombardier have since used the Acela Express's carriage design and a non-electric variant of the power car for their experimental JetTrain.
Outages and incidents
In August 2002, shortly after their introduction, Acela Express trainsets were briefly removed from service when the brackets that connected truck (bogie) dampers (shocks) to the powerunit carbodies ("yaw dampers") were found to be cracking. The trains were returned to service when a program of frequent inspections was instituted. The damper brackets have since been redesigned and the old brackets replaced with the newer design.
On April 15, 2005, Acela Express trains were again removed from service when cracks were found in the disc brakes of most of the passenger coaches. The Bombardier-Alstom consortium replaced the discs under warranty. Limited service resumed in July 2005, as a portion of the fleet operated with new brake discs. Metroliner trains, which the Acela Express was intended to replace, filled in during the outage. Amtrak announced on September 21, 2005 that all 20 trainsets had been returned to full operation.
Shortly afterwards, on September 28, 2005, an Acela traveling from Boston to Washington, D.C., became the first Acela train involved in a collision at a grade crossing when it struck a car at Miner Lane in Waterford, Connecticut,[16] one of the few remaining grade crossings on the Northeast Corridor (and one of the few on high-speed rail systems anywhere in the world). The train was approaching the crossing at approximately 70 mph (113 km/h) when the car reportedly drifted under the crossing gate arms at a low speed and was struck by the train and dragged 1,000 feet (305 m). The driver, a 62-year-old woman, and her 8-year-old grandson, were killed instantly. A 4-year-old girl survived and was airlifted to a hospital where she died nine days later. The incident drew much criticism from the public about the 11 remaining grade crossings along Amtrak's busy Northeast Corridor, despite the fact the gates were later inspected and declared to have been functioning properly at the time of the incident.[17][18][19]
The Acela Express between New York and Boston was taken offline June 16–19, 2008. Amtrak was replacing the drawbridge span of the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge with a new vertical lift span to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures, and minimize train delays.[20] The outage was delayed two days by complications with the removal of the old bridge counterweight.
On August 20, 2008, the Acela Express northbound train 2150 struck and fatally injured an Amtrak employee between the New Carrollton and Seabrook, Maryland, MARC Penn Line stops in suburban Washington. Service on all trains was suspended for several hours. The employee was airlifted to an area hospital before being pronounced dead.[21]
Attributes and amenities
Northeast Corridor services | |||||||||||||
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| Intercity |
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| Commuter |
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| Freight | |||||||||||||
The trainset consists of two power cars, a cafe car, a first class car, and four business class cars, semi-permanently coupled together. The Acela Express has newer, more comfortable seats than regional service counterparts. The first class car has 43 seats and there are 260 business class seats on each trainset. Business class cars have 4 seats across (2 seats across on each side) and four-seat tables. First class has 3 seats across (1 on one side, 2 on the other side) and four seat tables. The car next to the First Class is designated as a Quiet Car where mobile phone conversations and loud talking are not allowed.
Automatic sliding doors provide access between cars throughout the length of the train and reduce noise. Baggage may be stowed in overhead compartments that resemble those in airliners, as well as underneath the rider's seat. Reservations guarantee seating but seats are not assigned and are first-come, first-served. All Acela trains are accessible.
First class cars feature meals served to passengers at their seats. Some trains have cart service selling beverages and snacks to business class passengers at their seats. Trainsets are also serviced by onboard cleaners on some segments.
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Acela Express First Class car 3219.
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Pair of trains at South Station Boston. -
First class saloon. -
Business class saloon.
Labor
The Acela crew consists of a conductor, assistant conductor, cafe attendant, two first class attendants and an engineer. Regional trains have a head conductor, one or more assistants, a cafe attendant and an engineer. The Acela changes conductors and the engineer at New York on trains that run the whole route between Washington and Boston. Train crews usually originate at Washington, New York or Philadelphia. Maintenance and repairs are done at the Ivy City high-speed train service facility in Washington, DC.
Station stops
Sources
- ^ a b "All Aboard Amtrak's Acela". Washington Post (2000). Click on "Continue", then on "Staying Steady". Retrieved 2008-09-30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Goldberg, Bruce. "Metroliner's Amazing Rave." Trains June 2006 (53)
- ^ Amtrak ridership increases - USATODAY.com
- ^ Jay Jochnowitz (1999-03-10). "New Amtrak trains on fast track". Times Union. p. A1.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Bob Johnston, Amtrak opens Boston electrification, Trains April 2000
- ^ Ron Newman, Acela Regional starts January 31, 2000, misc.transport.rail.americas January 27, 2000
- ^ Laurence Arnold (2003-03-05). "Amtrak will use name 'Acela' to describe high-speed trains only". Associated Press.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/features/acelaflash.htm Inside the Acela
- ^ http://www.railfaneurope.net/tgv/acela.html Railfan Europe Acela Article
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/features/acelaflash.htm Inside the Acela
- ^ http://www.railfaneurope.net/tgv/acela.html Railfan Europe Acela Article
- ^ Dao, James (2005-04-24). "Acela, Built to Be Rail's Savior, Bedevils Amtrak at Every Turn". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Laurence Arnold (2001-12-11). "Fast train begins service with Washington-Boston roundtrip". Associated Press.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - U.S. Rep. John L. Mica
- ^ "Northeast Corridor timetable" (PDF). Amtrak. 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ McGeehan, Patrick, and Wald, Matthew L. (2005-09-30). "High-Tech Gates Fail to Avert Car-Train Crash". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Associated Press (2006-12-27). "Family sues over fatal car crash on railroad tracks". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Amtrak train, car collide, killing two". WTNH. 2005-09-28. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Investigators Seek Answers In Fatal Crash That Killed Two; Cause of Waterford car-train accident may never be known". The New London Day. 2005-09-30. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Thames River Bridge to be Closed to Rail Traffic June 14-17 for Replacement of 90-Year-Old Vertical Lift Span" (Press release). Amtrak. 2008-05-28. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
{{cite press release}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Amtrak worker dies after being struck by Acela train". Baltimore Sun. 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)
- Amtrak (April 15, 2005), Service Alert: Acela Express - Amtrak Cancels All Friday and Saturday Acela Express Service Due to Brake Problem. Retrieved April 15, 2005.
- Hauser, Kristine, New York Times (April 15, 2005), Amtrak Suspends Acela Trains After Finding Brake Problems. Retrieved April 15, 2005.
- Boston Globe/Bloomberg News, (August 27, 2008), Acela Trains May Expand To Meed Demand Retrieved September 19, 2008.
External links
Video runbys
- Amtrak Acela high speed on YouTube: 11-second video of Acela Express going through Kingston Station in Rhode Island at 135 mph (217 km/h).
- Southbound Acela high speed on YouTube: same station, this time in full daylight with Acela going south
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