Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 49, 2013

The Acela Express (colloquially abbreviated to Acela) is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via 14 intermediate stops including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. Acela Express trains are the only true high-speed trainsets in the Americas; the highest speed they attain is 150 mph. Acela trains use tilting technology which allows the train to travel at higher speeds on the sharply curved NEC without disturbing passengers, by lowering lateral centrifugal forces. Compared to other high-speed rail systems, Acela is unusual in that it shares tracks with other types of trains, as well as the advanced age of infrastructure in many segments of the system. As of 2013 the fastest Acela run between Boston and Washington covers the 454 mi in six and a half hours, an average speed of slightly under 70 mph. Acela has helped Amtrak capture a 75% share of air/train commuters between New York and Washington in 2011, up from 37% in 2000. Due to this competition, some airlines have even canceled service between Washington and New York. The Acela carried just under 3.4 million passengers in fiscal year 2012, and the Acela Express accounted for approximately 25% of all total revenue generated by Amtrak services.