Amtrak Acela high speed

[mariussstoica]

You all fucked up in your head why you think that your country is the most fucking dangerous place on earth ???? I fill sorry for you guys

[wille201]

giggity giggity giggity goo!

[rbjplay13]

If they can't make the speeds faster, for the Acela, their next step should be making them a lot more cheaper for all Amtrak trains. I mean really, $800 for a bedroom? Things like that prevent me from going on a crosscountry trip.

[k5lta]

Asia beats everyone,300 mph Maglevs

[zink444]

Dude! Thats WAY more than 135mph! That as the full 150mph!

[class377]

OMFG That's fast. We'll never get train that fast in the UK :(

[sirbrickrock]

you don't have train that fast. doesn't Europe have bullet trains?

[tayw9333]

you guys have the Euro Star thats way faster than this.

[Chafford1]

Eurostar 300km/h (186mph)

Javelin 225 km/h (140mph)

Pendolino, HST, Class 91 200km/h (125mph)

[gibb1991]

@Chafford1: The new Kent line to the Channel Tunnel allows the Eurostar to travel at 208 mph.

[class377]

Yes, but I wish there were speeds like that on the ECML of WCML.

[gibb1991]

We will hopefully have a decent 110 mph passenger network running on seperated tracks from the freight railroads by 2030.

[sideslide23]

we will.

[gibb1991]

I agree, we need more trains like that. Not just the 110 mph speed trains that are under construction. But more like the new California high speed network thats being built with 220 mph trains. Europe is kicking our butts with reliable, fast, affordable, and comfortable passenger trains. The fastest train in Europe, the Transrapid Maglev (Germany) goes 275 mph!

[k5lta]

no Japan is winning with maglevs that go over 300 mph....

[disturbedone5009]

Passenger trains in the US are going broke. The reason we don't use passenger trains in the US is that we built a massive highway system while Europeans nations were building large rail systems.

[gibb1991]

Believe it or not, Amtrak has set ridership and revanue records every year for the past eight years. The Northeast Corridor brings in massive profits, proving that high speed rail works. The biggest problem is that Amtrak is a Federal Company. Private companies that operate short-distance passenger trains and freight railroads are rolling in the cash!

[disturbedone5009]

Wow that's surprising. Last I heard the passenger railroads were doing so bad the government was subsidizing them.

[gibb1991]

That's because Amtrak is owned by the government. It was created in 1971 and ended up sucking in all the other private companies passenger services. The government subsidizes the airlines and highways much more. The only reason Amtrak is getting subsidies is for expansion projects because ridership is so high. Other passenger companies, such as Metrolink or Long Island RR, are completely self-sustaining.

[ThirdRail7]

LIRR and Metrolink aren't self sustaining. They are subsidized by the state.

[gibb1991]

They are companies of the state, but they do not require taxpayer money because of their success. LIRR is 70% private and 30% state. It also is self-sustaining and requires no operating subsidy from the state.

[gibb1991]

When I say the government spends more on highways and airlines I mean A LOT more. $10 billion EVERY YEAR is poured into the highways alone. In the 37 years that Amtrak has existed, it has recieved a total of about $900 million in it's lifetime. A cleaner, faster railway network is far more economically friendly to build than upgrading highways or airlports. In fact, building a brand-new, national 220 mph rail network would be about 1/4-1/2 the cost of upgrading airports and highways.

[disturbedone5009]

That's true. Plus trains are so much more awesome than driving in a cramped car.

[gibb1991]

True dat! lol

[dsindc]

Or plane. I live in D.C. and we love trains. I can take a commuter train to Balt. Washington Airport if I HAVE to fly, and it costs about $4. We need high speed rail now.

[cttrainguy]

If you think trains are subsidized, try the airlines. We pay for the terminals, the runways, the air control system, the planes, and about 80% of EVERY airline ticket is paid for by subsidies. If we had to pay full cost for a plane trip no one could afford it. Interstates are completely subsidized except on toll roads. Trains are the only ones expected to turn a profit without govt support!

[DisposableWarrior]

if you've ever been to europe. you would know that they have a pretty good highway network. the reason why passenger rail service was not doing well is bcause american railroad was outdated. driving was actually faster than riding trains. personally, i would go on a commuter train to go to school or visit other places.

[disturbedone5009]

Isn't their system relatively new compared to the American system? I know during WW2 they relied heavily on the rail system to transport materials and troops.

[DisposableWarrior]

german first invented autobahn, then other european countries copied it after WW2. european motorways are actually better built than american ones. however, they are much narrow when compare to american highway: usually 2-3 lanes in either direction. the reason why they use rail to transport troops and equipments is because rail can move large amount of good efficiently. if every army in this world drives to the battlefield, then they are going to stretch its supply line, which is bad.

[disturbedone5009]

Yeah I know they are about twice as thick so they last much longer.

I always wanted to drive on the Autobahn.

[gibb1991]

@disturbedone5009: The Autobahn isn't that great. I was there this past April. Almost all of the Autobahn is speed limited to 100 km/h (60 mph).

[disturbedone5009]

That sucks. I always wanted to drive on it to see what its like going as fast as possible without getting a ticket.

[SuperCruiser72]

@disturbedone5009

>>>>>>>>>>"Passenger trains in the US are going broke."

Obviously dead wrong, you idiotic dumpster resident. Passenger trains are NOT going broke and are doing perfect.

>>>>>>>>>>>"The reason we don't use passenger trains in the US..."

Who is hell is "we"? You don't know what everyone does so stop speaking for others, you roadkill lickin' piece of junk! Dammit, when the hell will people learn?!?!?!?

[disturbedone5009]

@SuperCruiser72

Wow man don't have an aneurysm.

[Hamptoncltn]

whoa! i just noitced thats the same bridge someone else had recorded the train passing by except it was going to opposite direction, anyways thats fast..we need more of those trains around the U.S

[PINKluvr01]

Obama is thinking of building a high speed train system like the ones in france and japan around the nation.

[gloomyoutlook]

dude has vision

[DKurtisWB]

That won't happen -- or be remotely complete for decades. First task is convincing the freight rail companies to upgrade their track -- good luck. We'd have to give them no taxes for a long time to win them over with that idea. To be honest, I like having several day trips across country, rather than 36 hour trips, it makes it much more enjoyable, but that's just my humble opinion.

[montecarlo0]

Home boy was flat out hauling ASS!!!!!

[Boat7678]

Look at the pantograph at 10 seconds

[astorian31]

boogity boogity boogity!

[gaycowboy31]

I love photogrphing those at speed a hell of a rush standing between two of them passing in oppisite directions I have one it and at that speed or faster it will suck the wind right out of you

[sideslide23]

thats the only high speed train we have in the U.S. but take a good look at the california high speed rail for california, it will be better than acela

[tect0nicman]

damn, thats fasts...

[sammydenyc]

They say "with state of the art technologies" the California High Speed Rail will run at "sustainable speeds" of up to 220 MPH

[BobbyJEL101]

whoa if you look at the windows it looks like there in the same place the whole time!

[jetset59]

I've had the train go past that station while I was on the bridge connecting the two platforms. It made the bridge shake and it scared the shit out of me.

[FullMentalPanic]

Sure would be nice to offer a rail alternative to the most frequented travel routes in the US. Gawd I hope California HSR gets passed.

[ChainChomp2]

25 days until election day, Californians, vote YES on Prop 1A! But the news is saying people are starting to go against it due to the costs including our poor economy (first time the Dow Jones dropped below 9000 in 5 years), etc. It's a better approach than more of the same, and should be completely (or somewhat resolved due to the oil use on building, cost, but new jobs which is good) resolved once the U.S. Government stops spending $10 Billion on Iraq every week.

[VHK99]

why the platform so low?O:

[ChainChomp2]

A lot of Amtrak NE Regional trains have the carriages so that the doors are at ground level, or the Amfleet coaches have stairs up to the doors. Kingston, RI is a quiet station but has the Acela roar through about 15 times a day on weekdays, a great sight, since Kingston and around is where the Acela Express can reach its top (permitted) speed :).

[VHK99]

that really strange...

in europe and the middle east, the platforms height is meter to meter and half

[cttrainguy]

There are two sections of high level platforms there for Business Class and handicapped riders. Acela only stops at certain stations, not Kingston. All new platforms in Connecticut are high level, I think it is law now.

[musthavejava]

WHOOSH! WOW! Just awesome to watch, this was. This vid is DEFINITELY a keeper! Thx for sharing it with us.

[CaptainPlanet2020]

Nice video. I wish that the govt. would invest more money into improving the track and catenary between New York and DC so it can maintain these speeds throughout the entire system. The bill that just passed congress and provided 14.9 billion for Amtrak and Metrorail is a step in the right direction. Of course, McCain and Bush pretty much want to gut Amtrak, we need Obama in the white house to help insure the future of Amtrak.

[mark1585]

In the future rail trains will run well over 400 MPH rendering maglev trains mostly obsolete. Mainly because of the fact that long distant Maglev train tracts are extremely expensive to build and maintain. Not to mention the trains price tag on the tax payers. The newer rail trains are equipped with cutting edge friction technology allowing them to achieve higher speeds wile using the same power of older trains in return saving tax payers millions a year on fears and repairs!

[VipericVampire]

WOW!

[Hands007]

Nice vid. How many miles does the 150mph zone extend? I'm riding the Acela from Boston later this week and want to capture the top speed on my GPS.

[cttrainguy]

I believe the details are on the amtrak website somewhere, otherwise do a google search.

There are 10 miles in RI, just north of Kingston station to Warwick, and 10-15 miles in Mass around the Attleboro-Sharon area.

[Gus3ragin]

cool idea- all I know is that between New London and New York the Acela probably averaged 50 miles and hour. However between New London and Boston, I bet it averaged 130!

[Hands007]

I'd say around 20 miles or so where it hits top speed just south of Providence, RI. I recorded consistent high speed around Kingston area from the video I uploaded.

[MacGyver1179]

I took the metroliner to Kingston once and an Acela was behind us...I was waiting to be picked up and heard the train approaching warning start...not 30 seconds later the acela blew threw...man what a site! If a regular train is passing threw there is a good minute and a half two minutes between the start of the warning and the train actually blowing through...

[yankeehater42]

Pause at 10 seconds

[PrinceBR373]

Cool video cctrainguy

[wallace2k]

Why can't all american passenger trains be like this one? Then maybe it wouldn't take three days to get across the country and more people would ride the train instead of fly.

[CoastersBolts]

California is planning a high speed rail line that will run from San Francisco, through Los Angeles, and end in San Diego. The proposal will be on the November 2008 ballot.

[Jetli390]

That.....was....AWESOME!!!!!

[Lnickolas]

Dude you guys California is getting a high speed train line from San Francisco and Sacramento to LA and San Diego! Two and a half hours to get from SF to SD!!

[MikeGinny]

No, California is not getting any such thing in my lifetime or yours. I *wish* it were true, but this country is broke because of having spent all our money in Iraq. The economy is in shambles and Americans don't do trains, anyway.

[gibb1991]

It will be completed by the year 2020.

[jec8992]

How long does it take to go through Rhode Island like 2 seconds LMAO!

[AmtrakFanNEC927]

45 mins.

[iamthe404]

ok why is every1 giving this comment a thumbsdown

[rainbowspotter]

They should say "High Speed Train Approaching please take cover" lol

[m4ilm4n]

In Germany, they do. When an ICE (InterCityExpress), the fastest train around here, is about to pass a station (they do at about 170 km/h, that's 105 mph), the station attendant says something like "high speed passage in a few minutes, please stand back from the tracks" - and it's smart to do so, once i was too close and the pressure nearly blew me off my feet.

[originalrhombus]

Folks, it's not *that* much slower than a European high-speed train. Remember that the TGV and ICE trains can't run at their specified maximum cruising speed over the entire length of the line, and I've rarely been on any train that was doing more than 220 km/h anyway. The Acela is still an nice piece of engineering. It's one thing to build an entire high-speed infrastructure but to make an effective high-speed train using existing infrastructure (some of it archaic) is a pretty impressive feat.

[amtrakboy789]

Amen

[mrrayco]

Well said my friend... well said...

[originalrhombus]

No, the Acela is *not* a TGV. It has Alstom motors; that's the only thing it shares with the TGV. The TGV has articulated (shared bogie) cars, while the Acela uses Bombardier's LRC tilt-carriage design.

[cchan006]

Portable GPS device I was carrying registered 149 mph in the 150 mph zone when I rode the Acela from Boston to Connecticut. I recall seeing Kingston as a blur. Nice video!

[aiptek3019]

DUDe that must be windy

[originalrhombus]

"The Acela although French based is still impressive at 150 mph"

1. The only part of the Acela that is French are the traction motors (built by Alstom). The rest of the system is Bombardier (Canada) and Bombardier is the prime contractor.

2. What's wrong with French technology, or the French, for that matter? Don't tell me you're still trotting out that old canard :)

[Chafford1]

1. TGVs are excellent trains and are the basis of the Eurostars that run between London and Paris/Brussels at 186mph.

2. The Acela is an excellent train but limited by the track it runs on.

3. The British HST diesel trains are still the mainstay of high speed non-elecrified lines in the UK and will remain so until the replacement Intercity Express Programme comes on-stream in 2013.

[keelar001]

HSTs are still in front line service in the UK - they work West from Paddington, North from Kingscross to Aberdeen, Inverness and Hull and North from St Pancras to Derby, Sheffield and Leeds.

Trust me, boys - I'm a train driver in the UK and I know the guys that drive them. HSTs are far from "mostly replaced."

[KawasakiPlant]

NICE!!!

[viewson800]

Does Acela have tilting capabilities like the Pendolinos in Britain?

[cttrainguy]

Yes Acela leans into the curves. A problem during the actual build was it was made 4" (10cm) wider than design spec, as a result it cannot lean far enough in to compensate for higher speeds, so the speed is restricted 10-15 mph slower than the original design intent.

[pierrepepi]

Actually look up Pendolino on this very site, We in britain have trains that can manage 150mph in fact, gone are the days of shitty diesel trains, they are all electric, and just as fast as Acela Expresss thank you, the eurostar is a TGV variant i think, thats fast so is the french TGV phew!

[pierrepepi]

yes they have, for the most part, they have their uses at times but they are being replaced by faster trains, shame really, i miss the days of noisy trains, still the passenger cabins are a far better standard with wireless conectivity and internet and so on, listen to me, sound like a bloody salesman lol!!:D

[cttrainguy]

Well like this comment or not it is absolutely true. Every few months someone jumps in front of it in Connecticut alone.

[mrrayco]

FYI.....the Acela..is a TGV... do some reading...LOL

[cttrainguy]

Acela was built by a consortium led by Bombardier in Quebec. I believe Alstrom is part of that. The TGV goes faster partly because European trains are smaller and lighter than American trains, so Acela needs more horsepower to go the same speed. I think each end unit is 6,000 hp for a total of 12,000 hp per trainset.

[amtrc]

we may not have a bullet train or a french train thank god we do have an amtrak Acela california in on for highspeed rail

[TrainmasterCurt]

Wow, that is very fast! Imagine what the french TGV's are like

[mikeeb777]

awsome!!

[cttrainguy]

I agree that is reasonable. Generally in the Northeast US enough people take the train or have seen it to be careful around station platforms.

[JacobWantsToShowYou]

bullet train is way faster, but acela is still an awsome train!

[cttrainguy]

Apparently our Acela videos are being commented on in Europe and asking how safe it is to be so close. All stations along this line have pedestrian crossovers and the platforms are completely fenced in, including down the center between the two tracks. The audio warnings help also. The stationmasters do keep an eye on the tracks also, and I've been yelled at several times, even when standing at least 10 ft from the track.

[buggiecar]

Look at my video of the acela.

[alx2925]

About how long does it take an acela to get from Kingston-PVD? Im thinking about going down there tomorrow

[cttrainguy]

According to the schedule, about 15 minutes. I've seen anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes.

[xpika666x]

Although it's slower than european or asian high-speed trains, it's still mind-blowing to see an amtrak train zip by at such blinding speed.

[boeingLL747]

was there was a lot of crosswind after the train?

[donbada]

The "lightning" is just the reflection of light off the side of the train.

[bsbmsc12]

that ligthning was cool

[dwain1310]

wow, i bet stopping distance is unbelievable at that speed!!

[DHMwithT]

He's up to maybe 145 at this point.

[mrivera1]

What was that flash of lightning at about 9-10 seconds? The train itself or an edit?

[cttrainguy]

The pantographs will bounce sometimes while running, creating an arc. A lot more noticeable at night. Good timing.

[alex333sh]

So slow comparing to Shinkansen in Japan. I wish some funding was allocated to truly high-speed lines.

[milotacsbil]

Going northbound through Kingston Station, RI, the Acela still has not gained full speed yet. At this point, it's doing about 135 mph.

[alx2925]

Now they can with the new catinary upgrade