Amtrak Announces Aug. 28 Launch of NextGen Acela

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak announced today it will begin passenger service on its new NextGen Acela fleet starting Thursday, August 28, introducing the new trainsets onto the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston.

The rollout marks the first phase of a fleet modernization initiative that will introduce 28 new trainsets over the next two years. The new NextGen Acela trainsets provide a 27% increase in seating capacity per departure while allowing Amtrak to offer expanded weekday and weekend schedules. Onboard, passengers will have access to upgraded amenities, including a smoother ride and faster Wi-Fi (which will still be free).

Five trainsets will enter service initially, with additional trainsets phased in over the coming months. During the transition, Amtrak will operate both current Acela equipment and NextGen Acela trains.

The NextGen Acela fleet was assembled at Alstom’s Hornell, NY facility by Machinists Union workers, incorporating components from over 180 suppliers across 29 states and supporting approximately 15,000 U.S. jobs.

The NextGen Acela trainsets were originally scheduled to go into service in 2021, but faced years of manufacturing and testing delays. Today’s announcement will come as a great relief for passengers who—in addition to enjoying a more comfortable onboard experience—can look forward to better service reliability and increased capacity. With new Amtrak Airo trains scheduled to debut on corridors across the nation in 2026 and a contract for new long-distance equipment expected shortly, we may look back on August 2025 as a significant date in the battle to renew America’s aging passenger rail fleet.

Passengers interested in experiencing the new trainsets in person will need to stay tuned—Amtrak says it will be updating its reservation system soon with information on how to “locate and select the NextGen Acela train options.”