Amtrak—National Disgrace and Quiet Success

It was a momentous occasion in the history of passenger rail in the United States. On August 28th, Amtrak’s next-generation Acela departed from Washington D.C.’s Union Station on its first commercial trip to Boston’s South Station. As the only high-speed rail service currently in operation in the Americas, the new Acelas can run up to 160 miles per hour (mph), a 10 mph increase from their predecessors. Its state-of-the-art tilting technology facilitates turns at higher speeds, allowing for increased passenger comfort along the Northeast Corridor.