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Do the Locomotion
Plagued by delays, Amtrak's ‘world-class' Acela service hasn't exactly changed life as we know it. But
it's a start
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Business New Haven
2/4/2002
By: Sheila A. LaSelle
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In December 2000, the Acela Express, Amtrak's new high-speed train, began service in the 470-mile Northeast Corridor linking the Washington, D.C., New York and Boston areas. Amtrak officials hope that shorter travel times and a comfortable physical environment will lure passengers onto the Acela.
Delayed by problems with the tilt technology (which allows the trains to take curves at higher speeds and counteracts centrifugal forces which would normally cause people and objects to be thrown against outside coach walls) along with premature wheel wear, forced a delay in plans to begin Acela Express in October 1999.
The train, with a maximum speed of 150 mph, shaves about a half-hour off the current Metroliner service between Washington and New York and about 45 minutes off the New York-to-Boston trip. (Due to several factors including, high-traffic, outdated tracks and overhead wires, the Acela will travel at a top speed of only 90 mph on the New York-to-New Haven line. The train reaches its 150-mph maximum only along a stretch of track in Rhode Island.
A one-way coach ticket between Washington and New York costs $143, up from $122 on the Metroliner. Travel between New York and Boston costs $120, compared to $57 on conventional Amtrak trains, which will continue to run in the Northeast Corridor.
Amtrak says the cost will still run less than the walk-up fare charged by US Airways and Delta Air Lines, the two primary airlines offering shuttle service between these cities. A one-way US Airways coach ticket from Washington to New York was fetching $204 on January 28, and $210 on Delta. One-way fares from New York to Boston were $203 on both airlines.
While the Acela is a comfortable train to travel on, mostly because it is new and therefore still in good condition, the hype about its offering “world-class” service may be a stretch.
Each train has eight new cars with oversized windows that allow for expansive views. The seats are comfortable and afford more leg room than conventional trains. Six of the cars are business class, one is first class and one is designated as a “quiet car” in which the use of cell phones is prohibited. If you don't own a cell phone Amtrak has provided “Railfones,” a/k/a old-fashioned pay phones.
There are 32 conference tables aboard that provide a decent working space to spread out papers and a laptop. There are of course data ports for laptops, personal audio systems (earphones cost $5) and friendly attendants who help adjust your head rest.
Enclosed overhead bins instill confidence that your won't receive a concussion from falling luggage as opposed to sitting below the typical open, precarious storage spaces on most trains.
The pub-style café car offers beer on tap, typical train food fare including menu items such as salade nicoise, rueben wrap and Tuscan ciabatta. There was one attendant on duty in the café car on a 9 a.m. weekday departure, and with the train less than half full one didn't have to wait in line very long. There are no lines to deal with if you travel in first class, as meals can be delivered to passengers' seats.
Perhaps the most endearing feature of the Acela is that you can actually understand what the conductor is saying over the PA system. This is a vast improvement over the conventional garbled messages and brings peace of mind to passengers traveling in strange cities uncertain of the next stop.
Passengers on our inaugural trip had mixed reactions to the new service. Elizabeth Nash travels regularly between her home in New York and Boston on business and began taking the Acela after the September 11 attacks. Before September 11, ridership was about six percent below projections. For fiscal year 2002, ridership is now exceeding projections by more than nine percent, reports Amtrak.
“I usually take the shuttle and I know I have to get over my fear of flying now,” says Nash. “But in the meantime, the train is here, and for the most part it's efficient.”
For the most part. The last time Nash took the Acela it was 30 minutes late. “I like it when there's no delays,” she says.
While she doesn't think that saving 45 minutes on the trip is exactly a monumental achievement, Nash likes the fact that passengers can relax on the train.
“I guess if you don't mind fighting traffic and looking for parking in a strange city, driving might be better,” she explains. “But you can work on the train or take a nap and just not have to worry about driving on these crazy roads.”
One German passenger said he enjoyed the Acela because it reminded him of Europe. He added, however, that the European trains travel much faster and are more reliable because they've been in service longer.
The U.S. is about 40 years behind Europe and Japan in terms of rail transportation, due in large part to the astronomical investment needed to replace obsolete right-of-way and long-neglected infrastructure. France's TGV trains, for example, launched in the late 1960s, regularly cruise at 186 mph.
When Acela first began service in the Northeast corridor, it was hoped that increased accessibility to the New Haven area would attract businesses to the region, increase real estate values and give tourism a boost.
After only slightly more than one year of operation it may difficult to determine a true economic impact on New Haven, but there is optimism in the air.
Says Lynn Fredricksen, director of communications for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce: “The Acela has served to foster the image that the New Haven region is part of the New York/New Jersey metropolitan business area. We're only 80 minutes from New York City and this is a wonderful option available for those who choose to commute into the city or out. It's always good for a region to have something like this to offer. It makes the region more accessible.”
Fredricksen also reports renewed interest in vacant office spaces in metro New Haven. “I can't say it is definitely because of the high-speed train,” she allows. But “There are a lot of factors, and the train is one of them.”
Acela's $100 million in revenues for the first year of service fell well below the projected $180 million. The projection was based on 20 trains being in full service for one year; to date the manufacturer has delivered just 16. While it seems unlikely that enhanced accessibility could have a negative impact on New Haven, the region may have to wait a number of years to see any real changes in the local economy.
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