Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
High-Speed Acela Service
The Acela trains operate along the Northeast Corridor and repre-
sent Amtrak's entry into the world of high-speed rail travel. The
trainsets are streamlined and ultramodern, and they certainly
look the part. However, for a number of reasons, most of which
having to do with the track over which they operate, the Acelas
manage to reach their top speed of 150 miles per hour on only
a few rather short stretches. In fact, it takes the regional service
trains only 30 to 40 minutes longer than the Acelas to make the
run between Washington, D.C., and New York City.
As you would expect, the fare for an Acela ticket is higher
than the cost to ride the slower regional trains. For me, the extra
exhilaration that comes from riding in one of these sleek trains is
worth the difference.
Amtrak considers any seat on one of the Acela trains to be
business class. Indeed, the seats are wide and comfortable and,
as in business class on regional trains, you get free nonalcoholic
drinks in the cafe car when you present your business-class ticket
stub. The upgrade available on an Acela train is to a first-class
car, which gets you a meal served at your seat, as well as the free
soft drinks. You pay for that, of course: the cost of the upgrade is
about a hundred dollars.
Check Out the Quiet Car
Quite a few Amtrak trains now include quiet cars, where the
rules prohibit cell phones, pagers, and loud conversations. You'll
find these safe havens from the din of today's world on both the
Acelas and the regional service trains running in the Northeast
Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C., and on the
Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee. There is no
extra charge to sit in a quiet car, but please note that seating in
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