I was surprised by America's FASTEST High-Speed train | Acela Express review
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- čas přidán 11. 11. 2023
- Today, we're diving into the american high-speed train Acela Express, zipping from Philadelphia to New York. I got to admit, American rail travel doesn't have the best repuation, but could this be be the train to change that? Join us and let's find out together!
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Train type: Acela Express
Route: Philadelphia to New Yor City
Train: Amtrak 2164
Distance: 145 km / 90 miles
Journey time: 1h15m
Average speed: 72 mph / 115 km/h
Price: 42 usd
Thumbnail photo © Han Zheng CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
On the north end of the line, trains only have two short 150mph segments because of the alignment's many curves. On the south end of the line, the alignment can mostly support those high speeds, but the overhead wires are, for the most part, a variable tension style from the original Pennsylvania Railroad electrification of the 1930s that only allows a maximum speed of 135 mph. The wires between New Brunswick and Trenton were recently upgraded to a modern constant-tension system which allows speeds of up to 160 mph (~255 km/h) but the project took so long to complete that Amtrak is looking for ways to reach those higher speeds without having to change the catenary system, at least as an interim measure.
The trains you saw at 8:40 are for the PATH, a rapid transit system (though legally considered commuter rail by the FRA) that connects Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken with Midtown and Lower Manhattan. PATH stands for Port Authority Trans-Hudson as it is owned by the Port Authority of NY & NJ. The routes of the PATH system were originally operated by the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad (H&M), built to link the then many railway terminals along the NJ waterfront to NYC, with Hoboken Terminal as the last one today still operational. The system was expanded to Journal Square in 1912, and Harrison and Newark in 1937.
The system began operations in 1908 and was fully completed in 1911. From the 1920s, the rise of automobile travel and the concurrent construction of bridges and tunnels across the river sent the H&M into a financial decline from which it never recovered, and it was forced into bankruptcy in 1954. As part of the deal that cleared the way for the construction of the original World Trade Center, the Port Authority bought the H&M out of receivership in 1962 and renamed it PATH. During weekdays, the red line operates between Newark and WTC, the blue operates between Hoboken and 33rd, the yellow between Journal Square and 33rd, and green between Hoboken and WTC. On weekends, only two lines, red and a blue/yellow combined service run.
Intresting, to me it just looked like another subway train in a different color. Thanks for the detailed background information!
FYI - Penn Station in Newark, NJ is going through a five year restoration project. It will resemble the original building when it was first built. 👌
Sounds great! Will have to come back and see that in the future!
It wasn't mentioned here but another station the Acela stops at is Metropark in NJ. Metropark is named such because it was one of two park-and-ride infill stations proposed in the 1960s for use by the new Metroliners. The Metroliners were the predecessor of the Acela, operating from 1969 to 2006. Service originally ran with Budd Metroliners, self-powered electric multiple unit cars designed for high-speed service. These proved unreliable and were replaced with locomotive-hauled trains in the 1980s. When the Acela was introduced in 2000, due to equipment troubles, the Metroliners stayed in service until 2006 when they were fully replaced. It is also served by the NJT Northeast Corridor Line and remains one of the busiest NJT stations.
The sculpture you showed at 1:35 is called the Angel of the Resurrection, portraying Michael the Archangel lifting up the soul of a dead soldier from the flames of war. It commemorates the 1,307 Pennsylvania Railroad employees who died in World War II and was sculpted by Walker Hancock in 1952
Very nice. I always enjoy that stretch of the NEC . I like the other AMTRAK trains on that route better than Acela.
That's my train. Quiet car, BWI to either Philly or NYC depending on where the meeting is. Costs more than flying but super convenient. At BWI parking is a snap, and you can striaght to the trian - show up with 10 minutes to spare? Still works - try that at an airport. Much rommier than any commuter jet, more comfortable and I've never had problems with the wifi, though admittedly I don't use this for heavy work tasks. Easy to get wherever I need downtown when I arrive / good station amenities if I arrive early for the return trip (BWI sucks, ditto Newark, but I don't spend time either place). I can't recall a delay, though granted it's only 6-8 trips a year. No complaints other than cost - as I often don't have much advance notice (oh, that, and the homeless vibe at times in station & especially ouside, but what can you do)
The train is so great for getting work done! I've spent many hours working on my university assignments while taking trips like this :D Can actually use the whole travel time productivly unlike on places
A new experience riding American Trains, it was so cool, that the video appeared to be short for me 😅 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
The reason you got in 8 minutes early might be because the timetable had padding to account for construction of the replacement of Portal Bridge (seen at 9:45). This is a swing bridge from 1910 that is unreliable and a slow spot, creating a massive bottleneck. Its replacement is LONG overdue.
Dock Bridge is also scheduled for replacement, but since it dates from the 1930s and doesn't really move anymore, its a lower priority. In fact, I believe that the replacement is planned to be a fixed bridge. The large amounts of industry on the Passiac River (which it crosses) no longer exist. And there is little in the way of recreational traffic. So there is no reason for it to open any more.
The reason Portal has stayed for so long is because it does still open-but only for one scheduled traffic. There is a town upstream on the Hackensack River that has to dispose of garbage using a barge, and the tugboat is just slightly too tall for the bridge. Because of all the politics and maritime regulations, apparently its just cheaper to build a new bridge that is high enough to clear the boat. (the tug has to be able to see over the barge, iirc, which is why they need to be a certain height-and trucks are more expensive and disruptive to the congested road network, and the town doesn't have any loading facilities for rail anymore and it would be more expensive than the barge anyways)
Can't wait for you to take train ride from Barcelona to Milan.
There is no direct train from Barcelona to Milan atm, so that will probably be a while.
I guess I'll just have to rough it on my own when I make the trip in January without a little help from my friends.@@Simon-Andersen
A European perspective on Brightline in Florida would be insightful.
Maybe in the future, Florida seems like one big resort to me, which is ussualy not the kind of holidays i take :P
Excellent video Simon and price wise the New York City to Philadelphia segement is the same price as a Providence Rhode Island to Boston Massachusetts segment. The actual max speed of Acela is 265 kmh 165 mph on the segment between New Brunswick and Trenton if authorised to do so which makes it run like a German DB Baureihe 412 ICE4 265 kmh max speed. Regarding the Avelia Liberty it's actually related to the SNCF Avelia Horizon sharing the same power car except for the Tilt mechanism disabled additionally single-level coaches are replaced by double deckers and the ability to use the German Swiss Austrian 15kv 16.7hz AC. From Newark to Boston stops are New York City Penn Station Stamford New Haven New London Providence Route 128 Boston Back Bay Boston South Station. Newark Penn Station has a digital Solari board
I lived in NYC until 2008 and traveled between NYC and Baltimore kind of regularly and rode the what is NOW called the Northeast Regional train (it had another name before but I don't remember what it was called).during the 1990s as that what was available as the Acela didn't come into existence until 2000.
When the Acela came out I was shocked at the HUGE premium cost for the Acela over the cost for the the NE Regional....... I'm talking like a 40-50% higher prices to save a piddling 10 minutes AT BEST....... needless to say I stuck with the NE Regional.
Well except for one time when I did the "oh what the hell, I'll pay the premium to try the Acela".
It wasn't worth it and the NE Regional was my go to train.
Nice video!😊
Thanks! 😊
Nice 👍🙂
Thanks 😊
You didn't mention Acela's bumpy ride, expecially at higher speeds? (Sam Jennings, former Amtrak/Acela Conductor)
I dont remember it being particually bumpy, but i must admit its been a year since i shot the footage, so i might have forgot!
It was/is bumpy and jerky making it hard to walk at times. Acela ins nowhere near as fast and smooth as the high speed trains in Eurppe and Asia and rail travelers should know this,. @@Simon-Andersen
@@samtrak1204 I'm only familiar with the DC-NYC section, but the Acela is mostly smooth and quiet. The regular train is at times shockingly bad riding. Obviously the more sophisticated Acela suspension mostly smooths out the terrible tracks where the regular train can't.
@@emjayayYea its more a symptom of the bad tracks that this train rides bad... I think on a European track it'd ride smooth... North American tracks are old and worn down.
I had a question Simon. How do you do your train route maps? Is it a program or animation you do yourself? Thank you 😊
I do them myself using After Effects and Google Earth studio, check out the tutorials from Imagiscope Tech
thats how i learnt to do it czcams.com/video/g3uFrkKYPCg/video.htmlsi=FjPt4lIAkG11URUJ
@@Simon-Andersen Oh, great!! Thank you so much. Knowing how to do AE can make doing these animations so cool.
USA! home of the world's slowest high speed train.
Well america is not excatly known for their great railways anymore :P
@@Simon-Andersen Such is the consequences from conquering the world for cheap gasoline, and ideological vilification of railway transit as "socialism"
planes are faster, and cars go wherever you want them to,.
Besides, there's plenty of great scenic passenger trains found throughout the US.@@interstellarphred
America's high speed train???. 😂😂😂😂. 160 mph... High speed train??. 😂😂😂😂
"Welcome to NY Penn Station"?!? When last did anyone feel welcome at that fetid dump?
The new Moynihan Train Hall is actually quite nice.
@@rambam23 OK, I'll grant you that. But those catacombs . . .
The catacombs have also been renovated with higher ceilings, brighter lights and inviting architecture. It’s quite a pleasant station now.
Ive been at far worse stations, especially the new train hall is great
Gee, don't make us laugh! At 240 Km per hour, you called it speed train? Look at the trains in Europe or the country US hates, China, your speed train is Mickey mouse!!
The fact that this line exists at all should be what you should consider impressive. America is a dystopia that invests all its transportation budget into inefficient and dangerous and economically draining highway projects.
@@harveytheattorneyNot to mention all the money our country squanders on wars we don't need to involved in. It would be wiser to use that money to really upgrade and expand passenger train service.
Considering Amtrak's northeast corridor when it was electrified before the Second World War was the fastest in the world at that time on right of way that has existed since before 1845, not the slowest train in the world. Since the northeast corridor barely has any vacant land adjacent to it, lots of factories and warehouses, and suburban sprawl, this right of way will have to suffice if you intend to serve these large metropolis' downtowns, central business districts... I doubt whether European or Chinese faster HSR is built on right of ways near two centuries old. More like two to four decades old.