Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28 • Hacker News Board

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#51

Post by DiogenesKynikos » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 1:27 PM UTC

The cutting edge for high-speed rail around the world is 350 km/h, with the fastest lines having average speeds (taking stops into account) of about 275 km/h. At those speeds, it would take:

  * DC to NYC: 80 minutes.
  * NYC to Boston: 80 minutes.
  * NYC to Toronto: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
  * NYC to Chicago: 4 hours and 35 minutes.

That would put a massive dent in air travel. One can only dream, I guess.

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#52

Post by bombcar » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 1:34 PM UTC

yellowapple wrote: post #50

Funny that this pops up while I'm on Amtrak (specifically California Zephyr).

How's the Wifi these days?

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#53

Post by bombcar » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

astrange wrote: post #46

esafak wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Executives have been talking like that for a long time :)

I always wondered about that part of press releases. Why do they always claim some executive said a paragraph of text that they very obviously didn't say? Who are they supposed to be saying it to? Is it like a transcript of an imaginary press conference??

The marketing people create a paragraph for the exec to say, and it's discussed, and the exec usually has final approval, and then it's shipped.

It's so that articles can be easily written using the press release, no work necessary!

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#54

Post by bombcar » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 1:42 PM UTC

NullifyNAN wrote: post #30

justusthane wrote: post #9

What is "5G-enabled Wi-Fi"? Does that just mean the train receives its connectivity via 5G and broadcasts Wi-Fi?

Yeah train wifi is generally terrible. Basically the only real solution is 100% 5G coverage along all train tracks or starlink. This is basically a global issue because line-of-sight for trains is a hard problem.

It's really hard, because anything gets confounded by tunnels unless you have specific repeaters for them, or the train is longer than the tunnel.

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#55

Post by op00to » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 1:59 PM UTC

jeffbee wrote: post #33

kccqzy wrote: post #20

> In the coming months, Amtrak will be operating both the current Acela equipment and the NextGen Acela trains as the new trains transition into the fleet. I do hope that at the time of booking they make it clear which Acela it is. Airlines do this: they usually mention the type of plane while booking. I might just do a trip on the new Acela to experience the train.

Haha. We're talking about the same Amtrak that tries to hide that you are booking a trip on a bus.

American Airlines also shows busses as flights from EWR to PHL. :)

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#56

Post by mizzao » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 2:36 PM UTC

jgbuddy wrote: post #17

wow, they took the AI emoji response and put it right in the press release

good catch! wow...

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#57

Post by ethbr1 » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 2:37 PM UTC

theturtle wrote: post #45

benabbott wrote: post #31

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem like it will speed up travel much at all. Based on my understanding, travel times in the northeast are limited not by the top speed of the trains, but by the tracks, and the fact that freight is prioritized.

Legally, freight is supposed to yield to passengers nationwide. It's in the legislation that created Amtrak over fifty years ago. It has never been enforced, and trump isn't about to do it. The UP/NS merger will make it worse. On Amtrak-controlled trackage, there is hope. Northeast Corridor is their show.

Indeed. My understanding was that for most of the country it's de facto the opposite: Amtrak yields to freight.

For as much as Biden purported to be a pro-passenger train President, you'd think he would have done something about that.

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#58

Post by yellowapple » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 2:46 PM UTC

bombcar wrote: post #52

yellowapple wrote: post #50

Funny that this pops up while I'm on Amtrak (specifically California Zephyr).

How's the Wifi these days?

Nonexistent. The laptop on which I'm typing this comment is running off my phone as a hotspot lmao

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#59

Post by wat10000 » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 3:11 PM UTC

DiogenesKynikos wrote: post #48

wat10000 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s only true with short distances or crappy trains. I’ll drive DC to NYC rather than take the train, as it’s cheaper and not much slower. If Acela were a proper high-speed line I might switch. DC to Boston is close to a toss up, ~7 vs ~9 hours, but a proper high-speed train that did it in 2.5 hours would be really attractive.

With modern high-speed rail and a fairly modest average speed of 200 km/h (taking stops into account, because modern HSR can go >350 km/h), it would only take 3.5 hours to get from DC to Boston (passing through NYC).

Yep, Acela is rather pathetic, especially the portion between NYC and Boston.

Re: Amtrak NextGen Acela Debuts on August 28

#60

Post by jeffbee » Fri, Aug 08, 2025, 3:14 PM UTC

op00to wrote: post #55

jeffbee wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha. We're talking about the same Amtrak that tries to hide that you are booking a trip on a bus.

American Airlines also shows busses as flights from EWR to PHL. :)

Now there's a route where I would certainly choose Amtrak over air.