As part of the passage of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 2008, Congress authorized a $7.3 billion program to modernize Amtrak’s passenger rail system. The goal of this initiative is to improve the safety, mobility, and comfort of Amtrak’s long-distance service while reducing operating costs. The new trains will be electric powered and will meet the future high-speed rail passenger requirements. They will be designed to be 20% more energy efficient than the current fleet and will use fuel cells that generate power and heat water for the air conditioning.
Amtrak has broken ground on a new fleet of “quieter, greener, cleaner” passenger trains that are expected to make their debut in 2019. The new locomotives will replace the current fleet of high-powered diesel engines, which are noisy and pollute the environment with fumes. The new trains will be made of 100 percent biodegradable materials, including plastics and composite wood products. The trains will also use regenerative braking, which reduces the amount of electricity used on board the trains.
Amtrak is spending $7.3 billion to replace its aging fleet of trains carrying passengers between New York and Boston with new, more comfortable, and fully-electric trains by the end of the year. The new trains will be up to three times more energy efficient than the current ones, and will be able to reach speeds of up to 79 mph, the Federal Railroad Administration reports.. Read more about trains near me and let us know what you think.
Amtrak has signed a deal with Siemens Mobility Inc. of California to build a new fleet of up to 83 multi-powered contemporary trains, with the potential to add up to 130 more trains.
The $7.3 billion investment may include the acquisition of equipment, a long-term parts supply and service agreement, facility changes and improvements, and other program costs, according to Amtrak. The new equipment is projected to increase yearly ridership by more than 1.5 million.
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The Cascades, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf, Adirondack, Vermonter, Downeaster, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, Keystone Service, Virginia Service, and New Haven/Springfield Service will all use the new equipment.
The trains will have remote monitoring and fully integrated digital diagnostics for improved dependability, allowing Amtrak to test new technologies and roll out new maintenance methods to improve efficiency, availability, and long-term costs. Customers may expect more comfortable seats, individual power outlets and USB ports, onboard Wi-Fi, improved lighting, panoramic windows, more spacious vestibules, self-service food choices, a digital seat reservation system, and navigation display systems, among other things. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic, enhanced HVAC, touchless restroom controls, and mechanized stairs will also offer additional protection.
In comparison to the current fleet, the new trains will emit less pollutants. “By replacing our outdated 40- to 50-year-old fleet with state-of-the-art, American-made technology, these new trains will change the future of rail travel,” Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement. “This investment is critical to the long-term viability of Northeast Regional and state-supported services, allowing our passengers to travel in comfort and safety while decreasing carbon emissions.”
“The way Americans travel will be transformed by these new trains, which will be our first hybrid battery operations in the United States. They will be constructed for quality and with pride in Sacramento, California, and will provide a more sustainable and pleasant travel experience “said Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility North America Rolling Stock. “We’ve worked closely with Amtrak and its state partners over the last decade to design and deploy trains that satisfy the requirements of America’s passengers; these next-generation trainsets expand on that expertise and provide much more.”
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