Just announced: Acela's Replacement (video)

Pretty cool video. I liked how they "blanked out" the people so you pay more attention to the train itself. Hope Alstom and Amtrak are successful with this new train.

Thanks for sharing the video, that is a nice train.   Is that what Amtrak is spending their new loan money on?

neat video ! thanks for posting

Clem

Lionel, get to work!!

very slick. hope it bodes well for Amtrak.

Very cool.

Hopefully Amtrak measured lateral rail clearances for the tilt technology if using existing lines.  I seem to recall a British experience with that not clearing another passing train and ending badly.

WITZ 41 posted:

Very cool.

Hopefully Amtrak measured lateral rail clearances for the tilt technology if using existing lines.  I seem to recall a British experience with that not clearing another passing train and ending badly.

I think there was a like issue with the current Acela's north of New York!

I hope the new train sets have a better livery than the current Ugcelas!

That was a combination of the Acela being wider than specified, and the former new Haven portion of the NEC having closer-than-ideal center-to-center track spacing.

---PCJ

I have seen this information on television news here in France; that's fine!

Hope many others for you in the USA!

jpv69

I don't remember the top speed of Acela as designed but I seem to remember that the Acela can't run maximum speed on portions if not all of the NE Corridor.  If that's the case why is Amtrak going to purchaes trains that are capable of 160-220 mph?

coach joe posted:

I don't remember the top speed of Acela as designed but I seem to remember that the Acela can't run maximum speed on portions if not all of the NE Corridor.  If that's the case why is Amtrak going to purchaes trains that are capable of 160-220 mph?

Because having headroom is good. 

The current trainsets were tested to 170 MPH through portions of New Jersey. Some of the NEC upgrades involve catenary upgrades to allow 160 MPH operation. 

Amtrak is clearly trying to work with what they've got.... its too expensive to bulldoze a straight right of way up the corridor. If these rattle less than the Acelas, it'll be an improvement. 

Nice trains but can the infrastructure handle them. Go get'um Wick.

RR,

   Thanks for the video, real nice Electric Train, unfortunately like the GG1, it will be limited as to where it will run.  However I would definitely like to hitch a ride on her!

PCRR/Dave

That is an exciting announcement!  Thanks for sharing it.

I wonder what will happen to the cela's? They are not that old. I guess I better book a seat. Whats the anticipated delivery time?

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

RR,

   Thanks for the video, real nice Electric Train, unfortunately like the GG1, it will be limited as to where it will run.  However I would definitely like to hitch a ride on her!

PCRR/Dave

If the trains are loco hauled, and are not EMU's, it is possible to run them with diesels or hybrids.

As I recall - the new Acela II's (Avelia Liberty) are only capable of 186 mph.  They will be restricted to 160 mph (10 mph faster than current top speed) along some existing and later, newer sections of the NEC.  Amtrak dropped plans for 220 mph capable sets which they were going to tack on to the CA HSR contract.

As for the design... anyone else see a resemblance here, lol:

/Mitch

At one time Convrse All Stars came in only four kinds:  Black, white; then hight top, low top!

Why did they NOT tie onto the CA order?

They will be lucky to hit 70 on the metro north section. During the rush hour I see them doing 55-60 through Mamaroneck!

Here is a picture I found on Rail Color News, a European Rail news website that I visit daily. These are 3-D printed models of the Alstom Avelia high-speed trains like the proposed Acela replacement. The models include single-deck versions like the Amtrak version & double-deck versions similar to the current SNCF TGV Duplex trains. These photos were taken at the ongoing biannual rail exhibition, INNOTRANS 2016 that started today in Berlin. I will post more photos of these 3-D printed trains as I find them.

These are just my opinion.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

TGV Duplex Trains.................Sweet!

Regards, Swafford

Oh great, I'll finally get a model of a high speed Alstom trainset, and instead of the cool looking maroon paint of the Italian regional trains it will look like a 40 yr old sneaker!

jhz563 posted:

Oh great, I'll finally get a model of a high speed Alstom trainset, and instead of the cool looking maroon paint of the Italian regional trains it will look like a 40 yr old sneaker!

How about PRR tuscan red?  And the 1950's solid gold stripe running along the windows!

Swafford posted:

TGV Duplex Trains.................Sweet!

Regards, Swafford

Frank,

I used to like the looks of the TGV but as I find more photos of the intermediate cars, they look too short to me. I didn’t notice them when I saw photos of the entire train but seeing these cars individually in the Alstom video at the beginning of this thread or from photos I found online, of the scale models displayed at this year’s Innotrans, they look short. I am used to seeing photos & real passenger cars, used currently in North America that are around 85’ long. The intermediate cars on Alstom’s TGV & Avelia are just around 61’ long to keep the axle loads around 17 tons since 1 truck is shared between 2 intermediate cars.

These are just my opinion,

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Good news.......but after my recent 6000 mile trip on Amtrak......the LD trains need MUCH attention. (LD long distance)

I dunno 'bout you guys, but don't those greyed-out people bring the worker scenes from the movie 'Metropolis' to mind?

...........amongst other scenes: 

Cool, wish we could have something like that on the west coast!  Here's hoping they get most of the promoted functionality actually build.  But one small gripe, and this is with almost all Amtrak, if you're going to use Red, white, and Blue aka the US flag colors, use the right ones!  Anyone else think that a deep rich Navy blue would be better than what they have there?  How about red instead of red orange.  Just my humble opinion.

Railroads in this country can't even run a train into the station safely at 10 miles per hour (the New Jersey accident)  how they going to run at several hundred mph?

Rick

RICKC posted:

Railroads in this country can't even run a train into the station safely at 10 miles per hour (the New Jersey accident)  how they going to run at several hundred mph?

Rick

So, by your implication,  I take it that ALL commuter agencies are busily slamming their commuter trains into the stations on a daily basis? 

FAR more accidents and fatalities occur on the nation's highways than on commuter rail.

Rusty

Hard to believe this announcement was just two years ago.  Nowadays we hear about this cutback or that customer experience "update". 

Images of the interior design have been released a couple of days ago...

A prototype is supposedly under construction in upstate NY. No photos of that so far.

---PCJ

I wonder how much it cost to make this video, which I find aesthetically  nice, and above average, but absolutely worthless in terms of encouraging me to use the service. Who is the audience for this video?  Of couse I'm happy to view the train. But I don't need "entertainment" . I would bet 90% of the posters on this forum could have made an equally informative video without the meaningless gee-whiz artistry for 1/100th of the cost. To those who use the northeast corridor, as I do, the special graphics and cuts mean "ungotz". People (such as I) who travel this route will use the service with or without this high-dollar video, by an allegedly cash-strapped  bankrupt AMTRAK, who will pay millions to put this on television. And the name "Avelia" stinks. 

Wonderful...for those whose employer is picking up the cost of the ticket. 

With the high tech CGI graphics, some of the airline like amenities and the splash of the OP's video, I believe this was more likely a sales video meant to pitch the product to the potential buyers (Amtrak, etc) than a promotional video meant to induce the general public to use the trains.

I couldn't help but notice the train number - F 0001.  At a quick glance, or take away a zero and it looks like Fool.

If it'll work as intended I think it'll be an upgrade worth moving towards.

Very nice.  So far they have only made an animated video.  Let's see how far it goes.  Also, does this include new  trackage  with elevated curves and passenger only service  or do they still have to share the right-of-way with freight service and use of tilting cars?

Rick

These are being built in the Finger Lakes town of Hornell at Alstom.  Pretty much the middle of nowhere .  So much for (1) no manufacturing is going on in the USA and (2) New York State is so business unfriendly that nothing happens there. Sometimes reality departs from the fiction people prefer to believe in.

Landsteiner posted:

These are being built in the Finger Lakes town of Hornell at Alstom.  Pretty much the middle of nowhere .  So much for (1) no manufacturing is going on in the USA and (2) New York State is so business unfriendly that nothing happens there. Sometimes reality departs from the fiction people prefer to believe in.

Well, something's going on down there:

Rusty

Some photos from Associated Press

Gary

The front of the engine and the back of the seats look like a robotic cartoon character.