US rail operator Amtrak on Friday awarded a US$2 billion deal to French manufacturer Alstom SA to supply new trains for its key Acela service between Washington, New York and Boston.
The landmark deal for 28 new passenger trains is to boost Amtrak’s speed and capacity along its most heavily used and profitable route, with more than 3.5 million passengers a year, from 2021.
The trains are to carry more than 400 passengers, about one-third more than the existing Acela northeastern corridor express service, with a maximum speed of 300kph, although normal speeds are to hover near 260kph.
Photo: AFP
In the deal, Alstom, which makes France’s famed TGV trains, agreed to manufacture most of the new equipment for Amtrak, dubbed its Avelia Liberty line, at its plant in Hornell, New York.
The new trains, which would also serve Baltimore, Philadelphia and other key cities on the 730km route, would be able to run faster than current trains in part due to the use of Alstom’s Tiltronix system allowing the trains to lean more deeply into curves, avoiding sharp slowdowns.
US Vice President Joe Biden, a strong advocate of high-speed rail, said at a ceremony that strengthening the Acela service is crucial, as it serves one of the most densely populated and economically important regions of the country.
“This area from Boston to Washington is home to one out of every seven Americans,” he said, calling the northeast corridor “fundamentally important” to the economy.
Amtrak and Alstom said prototypes for the new trainsets will be ready in 2019, and enter commercial service two years later.
The revamp of the Acela fleet will also be matched by upgrades to stations and the rail line, Amtrak said.
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