The first train will be transferred to TTCI’s test track in Pueblo, Colorado, in mid-February for endurance testing.

Amtrak awarded Alstom a contract in August 2016 to supply 28 trains to replace the existing fleet of 20 Acela Express sets operating on the 730km Boston - New York - Washington DC Northeast Corridor (NEC). The first train will enter service in 2021.

The Alstom Avelia Liberty trains will be formed of two compact power cars and nine articulated intermediate trailer coaches. The trains have a design speed of 300km/h but will be limited to a maximum of 257km/h on the NEC.

The trains will be equipped with Alstom’s crash energy management system and Tiltronix active tilt technology. Each train will seat 378 passengers, a 25% increase compared with the current fleet.

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