Editor’s note: Acela 2.0 makes historic debut at Penn Station

New Yorkers joined Amtrak employees to welcome the arrival of the railroad’s first official passenger run of its second-generation high-speed train at the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station Thursday. Compared with the more low-key debut of the original, which I covered for the Daily News 25 years ago, when the concept of high-speed train travel in the United States was still brand new, the latest unveiling was more like a party. 

This time, a crowd of train aficionados cheered as Acela Express Train No. 2130 arrived on Track 12. Formally the Avelia Liberty, or Acela 2, the train set assembled by Alstom in Hornell looked more futuristic than the original, with a sleeker look, automatic sliding doors and an airplane-like nose. It conceivably could hit speeds of up to 220 mph, but an Amtrak spokesperson said that it will stay at 160 mph for now, as the railroad breaks in the new trains and due to track infrastructure limitations. 

Like its predecessor, the train offers wide comfortable seating, a business class and a cafe car. Its new design also makes the ride smoother, especially on curves. “They really run nice. It’s like a Mercedes M Class,” the train’s engineer Phil Meade told City & State. Meade proudly showed off the train’s cab while visitors rushed in and out to snap pictures. Passengers boarded while train fans waited outside for it scheduled departure at 10:12 a.m. “It’s a moment of history. I just wanted to see it,” said Oliver Lees, a 12-year-old from Queens, just after snatching a few shots on his phone as the train pulled away. 

Others noted how the advent of high-speed travel and its growth over the last 25 years has been a catalyst for change, especially with the opening of Moynihan in 2021, where the Acela now arrives. A new Penn Station, as promised by the Trump Administration this week, is expected next. “It’s an extraordinary time for transportation,” said John Hyland, former executive director at Penn Station for the Long Island Rail Road, who had come to check out the new train. “I’m anxious to see the equipment in operation.”

“High-speed rail has been an envy here in America, because we’ve seen other countries pull it off, and we couldn’t do it,” he added. “And now we’re beginning to see some of that American ambition and knowhow come to fruition. It’s really incredible for all the riders that come in and out of Penn Station every day.”