Acela 21 (Avelia Liberty) development, testing and deployment (2Q 2024)

[Touchdowntom9]

According to a presentation at the Board Meeting (12/4/24), qualification testing for the Avelias has been completed and they are about to start pre-introduction training runs etc. Spring 2025 is still on track.

What exactly does that entail? Basically just crew training? Seems like we are largely out of the woods here!

Would they launch in spring 2025 with the 9 or so existing trainsets and bring the rest online as they are delivered?

 

[JuniusLivonius]

According to a presentation at the Board Meeting (12/4/24), qualification testing for the Avelias has been completed and they are about to start pre-introduction training runs etc. Spring 2025 is still on track.

Acela 2 specific information from today's press release:

Completed qualification testing on the NextGen Acela with Alstom and will submit results to the Federal Railroad Administration soon
Successfully conducted more than 900 test runs and clocked over 90,000 miles of testing on the Northeast Corridor

https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/

 

[west point]

Suspect that Amtrak wants nothing to gum up inaugural month. Or at least first week. For it to go smoothly Amtrak will probably have a standby train set with engineer at NYP and WASH located on another platform. Maybe even another train set at PHL with engineer at either end in case it needs to be dispatched either direction.

Wonder how soon additional Acela trips will be initiated? The pictures of the interiors showed seats that appeared much more comfortable than some of the other new Siemen's cars.

 

[sportbiker]

Acela 2 specific information from today's press release:



https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/

Evidence that improbable rumors such as "failed egress test" are not to be taken seriously

 

[Budd_Metroliner]

Both can be true, you can overcome the oscillations at speed and fail a different component of testing resulting in an overall delay

 

[jis]

Both can be true, you can overcome the oscillations at speed and fail a different component of testing resulting in an overall delay

I am still waiting for a credible source for that rumor about egress test though.

 

[TRA_Thom]

An Acela II pulled into Washington Union Station precisely at noon today, with 2116 in the rear.

 

[Budd_Metroliner]

https://www.nj.com/news/2024/12/amt...ould-start-carrying-passengers-in-spring.html

“Our NextGen Acela trains are getting closer,” said Jason Abrams, an Amtrak spokesperson who confirmed the spring rollout date."

One step closer.

 

[JuniusLivonius]

Extra #855 passing Morris on December 5th
Engines 2115-2142



An Acela II car (engine 2146) was hit by graffiti in Philadelphia

Reddit (safereddit) link: https://safereddit.com/r/Amtrak/comments/1ha8ksx/sad/

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20241210001931/https://safereddit.com/r/Amtrak/comments/1ha8ksx/sad/

 

[Bernie]

I saw the tagged train yesterday morning. I don't know if it was the same train, but the train sitting in the same place was graffiti-clean by 6:30pm that evening.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I saw the tagged train yesterday morning. I don't know if it was the same train, but the train sitting in the same place was graffiti-clean by 6:30pm that evening.

Someone on FB says it looks photoshopped.

 

[Acela150]

I saw the tagged train yesterday morning. I don't know if it was the same train, but the train sitting in the same place was graffiti-clean by 6:30pm that evening.

Different trainsets.

Someone on FB says it looks photoshopped.

Definitely not photoshopped.

 

[Literalman]

Look, Ma! No catenary! Fast Company uncritically posted a dopey photo, allegedly from Amtrak: https://www.fastcompany.com/91242054/amtraks-sleek-new-high-speed-electric-trains-are-coming-next-spring?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
Maybe the train coasted a couple of thousand miles beyond the end of the wire. And it appears to have baggage service too!

 

[jis]

Look, Ma! No catenary! Fast Company uncritically posted a dopey photo, allegedly from Amtrak: https://www.fastcompany.com/91242054/amtraks-sleek-new-high-speed-electric-trains-are-coming-next-spring?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
Maybe the train coasted a couple of thousand miles beyond the end of the wire. And it appears to have baggage service too!

Nothing dopey about it. It is a real photo of an Avelia Liberty consist on a delivery run from the factory to Amtrak. Of course it is powered by a diesel at the far end.

 

[Literalman]

Sorry, I thought it was another Amtrak Photoshop job. I've seen a couple of news items about Amtrak unveiling the new Acela, but maybe Amtrak isn't issuing that photo as an illustration of the service that is supposed to commence next year. Maybe Fast Company latched onto that photo without realizing that the scenery and diesel operation are not typical of what and where the new Acela service is supposed to be.

 

[JuniusLivonius]

Different trainsets.

Definitely not photoshopped.

Was there an Acela 2 trainset out last night on County - Ham or was it just another Charger set?

 

[Acela150]

Was there an Acela 2 trainset out last night on County - Ham or was it just another Charger set?

I believe that it was a Charger set, Monday there were sent to Philly from Wilmington. If it was a Charger set it was 362 and 366.

I'll add that I did hear some rumors of them taking a set out this week. However, I'm not sure if that has happened or will happen.

 

[JuniusLivonius]

I believe that it was a Charger set, Monday there were sent to Philly from Wilmington. If it was a Charger set it was 362 and 366.

I'll add that I did hear some rumors of them taking a set out this week. However, I'm not sure if that has happened or will happen.

Yeah something's back tonight. KP2022 was at County but couldn't be given absolute block on track 3. They just got let through to go west to Ham at 9:57PM.

Came back to County at 10:41PM with a good running brake test heading west. That traction motor sound is definitely Avelia Liberty.