Starting Thursday, Aug. 28, customers can travel on Amtrak’s NextGen Acela – America’s high-speed train – connecting the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston.
Looks like they have reasonable height windows, unlike the weird little slit windows that Amtrak typically has for some reason. I’ve always assumed it’s to minimize greenhouse effects, because maybe nobody was able to imagine blinds or heat-reflective glass used elsewhere.
While Amtrak trains always seem crude and old fashioned compared to modern trains in other countries, one thing they’ve always been is very comfortable and spacious. I’m a little concerned by 27% more seats - is that the end of the generous space?
I’m probably unlikely to find out for a while, because faced with the usually dramatically higher prices for ~20% shorter journey times, I usually choose the cheaper, slightly slower standard Amtrak service instead of Acela. It’s a testament to the benefits of rail that even the rickety slow Amtrak trains are often still a good option for the few journeys they serve.
Looks like they have reasonable height windows, unlike the weird little slit windows that Amtrak typically has for some reason. I’ve always assumed it’s to minimize greenhouse effects, because maybe nobody was able to imagine blinds or heat-reflective glass used elsewhere.
While Amtrak trains always seem crude and old fashioned compared to modern trains in other countries, one thing they’ve always been is very comfortable and spacious. I’m a little concerned by 27% more seats - is that the end of the generous space?
I’m probably unlikely to find out for a while, because faced with the usually dramatically higher prices for ~20% shorter journey times, I usually choose the cheaper, slightly slower standard Amtrak service instead of Acela. It’s a testament to the benefits of rail that even the rickety slow Amtrak trains are often still a good option for the few journeys they serve.