| Avelia Liberty NextGen Acela / Acela II | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Avelia Liberty inEdison, New Jersey on its inaugural trip inAugust 2025 | |
 Interior of the quiet car | |
| Stock type | Electric multiple unit |
| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Built at | Hornell, New York |
| Family name | Avelia |
| Constructed | 2017–present |
| Entered service | August 28, 2025 |
| Number under construction | 28 trainsets |
| Predecessor | Acela Express |
| Formation | 11 cars (2 power cars, 9 passenger cars) |
| Fleet numbers | 2100–2155 (power cars) |
| Capacity | 386 |
| Operators | Amtrak |
| Depots |
|
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 698.5 ft (212.9 m) |
| Maximum speed |
|
| Axle load | 17 tons |
| Traction system | IGBT–VVVF inverter control |
| Traction motors | 3-phase AC induction motors |
| Power output | 7,000 kW (9,400 hp) total |
| Transmission | AC-DC-AC |
| Electric system(s) | |
| Current collection | Pantograph (1 per power car, 1 in use per train) |
| Braking system(s) |
|
| Safety system(s) | Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Specifications:[1] | |
Avelia Liberty, marketed by Amtrak as theNextGen Acela[2] and previously referred to asAcela II[3] during the procurement phase, is atiltinghigh-speed passenger trainset built for the North American market by French manufacturerAlstom and assembled in the United States.Amtrak has ordered 28 train sets for use on its flagshipAcela service along theNortheast Corridor betweenBoston,New York, andWashington, promising higher capacity and greater speeds than thefirst-generation Acela trainset.
Part of Alstom's Avelia family of high-speed trains, the Avelia Liberty is adapted forFederal Railroad Administration Tier IIIcrashworthiness standards and other North American requirements.
Trains began testing in 2020, with a planned entry into service for 2022. After several delays, the first five train sets entered passenger service on August 28, 2025.[4][5][6]
In 2000, Amtrak introduced theAcela service along theNortheast Corridor betweenBoston andWashington, D.C., viaNew York City andPhiladelphia. The service uses a dedicatedAcela Express trainset that was built by a consortium ofAlstom andBombardier between 1998 and 2001.[7]
In August 2016,Amtrak announced a $2.4 billion loan from theUnited States Department of Transportation for the purchase of new high-speed train sets for theAcela service from Alstom. Alstom will also provide long-term technical support and supply spare components and parts.[8] These next generation train sets would replace the 20 existing trainsets that were nearing the end of their useful service life.[9][10][11] The 28 train sets ordered would allow for more frequent service on the Northeast Corridor, including half-hourly peak service between New York City and Washington, D.C.[12]
U.S. assembly of the train sets is taking place at Alstom's plants inHornell andRochester,New York,[13] with parts supplied by over 180 companies in 29 states.[6] Initial construction of car bodies and major components began at Hornell in October 2017.[14] The first prototype set was sent to theTransportation Technology Center (TTC) inPueblo, Colorado in February 2020 for testing on the high-speed test track.[15] During the nine months of expected trials, the train sets were tested at speeds up to 165 mph (266 km/h).[16] A second prototype was delivered in March 2020 to Amtrak for testing along the service tracks in the Northeast which began in May 2020.[17] The first test run up toBoston South Station occurred on September 28, 2020.[18]
By 2020, the first train set was expected to enter revenue service in early 2022, with all train sets in service by late 2022, at which point Amtrak would retire the previousAcela fleet.[19][20][21] By February 2022, full high-speed testing was not expected to begin until later that year.[22] In May 2022, 15 of the 28 train sets were in "some phase of production".[23]
Testing at up to 165 miles per hour (266 km/h) took place in 2022. As of May 2023, the first train sets were expected to enter revenue service in 2024, three years behind schedule. Testing has revealed incompatibility issues due to the lack of tracks built to accommodate high-speed trains—Acela shares tracks with commuter lines and freight lines—and the age of infrastructure in the Northeast, some of which dates back almost two centuries.[24][25]
In October 2023, a report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General disclosed that the Avelia Liberty would likely go into service in the second half of 2024. The report cited several previously undisclosed issues with the train sets, including spontaneously shattering window glass on some trains.[26]
On January 13, 2024, Amtrak announced that after thirteen previous failures, the Avelia Liberty had passed a series of computer simulations of running the trains over the Northeast Corridor tracks. Having passed the simulation, the train sets were approved by the Federal Railroad Administration for on-track testing between Washington and Boston.[27] By December 2024, 14 of the 28 train sets had been delivered and revenue service was expected to begin in spring 2025.[28] The first five train sets entered service on August 28, 2025.[5][6] Its top speed during commercial service is around 160 miles per hour (260 km/h).[6]
.jpg)
Although Amtrak initially favored aNew Pendolino derivative, the train set trailers are based on theAGV and the power car design is based on that of theAvelia Horizon, designed for the French high-speed rail network (TGV),[29] but adapted to conform with North American railroad standards, including the U.S.Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)'s Tier IIIcrashworthiness standards.
Besides containing more train sets than the prior generation, the new fleet will have train sets that each have 378 seats and 8 wheelchair locations for a total capacity of 386 passengers, allowing for 25% greater passenger capacity per train set.[10][13] They will be equipped with anactive tilt system, dubbed Tiltronix by Alstom and based on Pendolinos, that will allow higher speeds on curved portions of the corridor track at a maximum tilt angle of 6.3°.[13][30]
Each Avelia Liberty train set has power cars at each end of the train, and (initially) nine articulated passenger cars. An additional three passenger cars can be added if demand grows. The power cars include a crash energy management system to help meet the FRA's Tier III standards while allowing a 30 percent reduction in train weight.[31][32] These trains will also haveUSB ports,power sockets,Wi-Fi, accessibility features, touchless bathroom facilities, trip information displays, a café car, improvedHVAC, audio and visual announcements in every rail car, and other conveniences.[6][33][34] Train rides are reportedly smoother than the previous generation.[6]
The new train sets, along with track and signaling improvements, will allow for an initial improvement in maximum regular service speed to 160 miles per hour (260 km/h) on portions of the route previously cleared for 150 mph (240 km/h) operations.[35] Many infrastructure upgrades are underway or completed, allowing for more frequent service and faster speeds.[10][36][37][38]
Each train set consists of two power cars, one at each end, and nine passenger cars. The passenger cars include a 43-seat First Class end car; a 39-seat Business Class car with a galley for attendants servingFirst Class passengers; three 49-seatBusiness Class cars; aCafé (food service) car; two additional 49-seat Business Class cars; and a 59-seat Business Class end car designated as aquiet car. There are a total of 386 seats per train set.[39][40]
| Car no. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Power | First Class | Business Class | Café | Business Class | Business Class (quiet car) | Power | — | ||||
| Capacity | — | 43 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 49 | — | 49 | 49 | 59 | — | 386 |
Fifteen of the 28 sets are in "some phase of production," he said.
Media related toAvelia Liberty at Wikimedia Commons
Pendolino family trains | |
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China | |
Czech Republic | |
Finland | |
Germany / Austria | |
Greece | |
Italy | |
Poland | |
Portugal | |
Slovenia | |
Spain | |
Switzerland | |
United Kingdom | |
United States | |
