Acela can reach 150 mph in parts of New Jersey after Amtrak upgrades

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Amtrak trains travel at 150 mph in part of NJ after track upgrades

Amtrack passengers can travel even faster at 150 mph in part of New Jersey after infrastructure improvements were made.

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Passengers on Acela in parts of New Jersey will be zipping along at up to 150 mph after Amtrak made infrastructure improvements, the rail service said.

The New Jersey High-Speed Rail Improvement program, working with $450 million in federal money, upgraded infrastructure along 16 miles of track between New Brunswick and South Brunswick.

"Thanks to the hard work by Amtrak's Infrastructure Maintenance & Construction Services Team and our DOT and commuter partners, our customers will experience more reliable and faster trains and better on-time performance on this busy section of the" Northeast Corridor, Amtrak President and CEO Stephen Gardner said in a news release.

Amtrak said the 150-mph limit will be the fastest in North America, equaling speeds already reached on tracks in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Current top speeds in the NYC-Washington corridor are 135 mph, according to Amtrak.

By the fall of 2023, when a new fleet of Acela trains arrives, top speeds could hit 160 mph, with the overall goal of reduced trip times.

Upgrades were made to power cables, the catenary wire system and power substations, among other operations. By 2024, Amtrak will upgrade the stretch between South Brunswick and Trenton.

Amtrak also announced Acela's new train schedule, with 10 daily round-trip trains between New York and Washington, and nine round-trip trains running between Boston and New York.

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