Acela II (Alstom Avelia Liberty): Design, Production, Delivery, Acceptance

RandallW wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2024 7:40 pm Is the set in Boston up there for training mechanical crew (as I assume overnight running maintenance will be performed there)?

Bingo!. And i think for measuring clarences and such in the S&I building until the new one is built.

Night 5/30 - Morning 5/31
9:56PM - CETC-8 announcing "turnover time" and needed to give job briefing to KP2022
11:12PM - #3742 held at the branch waiting for test train to clear up
2:46AM - Regular conversation between #3805 and KP2022. KP2022 "can only do 150 at this time"?

Tonight, May 31st 8:37PM - KP2022 (Avelia Liberty test train) inching up to exit out of PCY (FINALLY)
8:41PM - KP2022 moving a little bit closer to main line, now stopped. A double-ended Keystone or Regional (possibly #658 to NY) pulled out of the station up the Keystone tracks (blocking the exit from the yard)

As of 8:53PM the camera turned around and KP2022 was still stopped under the viaduct. Peace out.

Night 5/31 - morning 6/1
11:16PM - #3742 out of the branch blocked by KP2022 coming east through Delco run as usual; yells at KP2022 to hurry up
Could not hear KP2022's side of the usual conversation.
11:28PM - KP2022 ready to move west

The usual 2:30AM conversation did not take place.

For once, a railfan actually filmed the test train at Princeton Junction. Looks a bit slow to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bya47D1lVk

Note the P42DC on #186. #66 and #65 also had diesels later that night as I heard from the radio.

Today 6/4, KP2022 (Avelia Liberty) left/leaving PCY at 8:05PM. Which one of you railfans at PA DOT left the camera pointed at the PCY yard leads and Keystone line where it goes under the viaduct? There is not a single roadway in the frame. It's just the tracks.

Today:

Are there any update pertaining to the following, regarding the Avelia Liberty train sets:

1) What are the major issues that need to be corrected or further tested at this time (high level)?
2) What's being done to correct any issues, and what's the time frame for corrections?
3) When's the first revenue projected?

If Amtrak gets these train sets into service, it could help with the overall "capacity" issue they having nation wide. For example, keep the Acela's around for a bit to run perhaps in "shuttle" operation (NYP to WAS or NYP to BOS/SPG) and this would free up Amfleets to be used elsewhere in the system as needed. Horizons are only going to be handle only so much as new routes and Ventures go through the remainder of their teething issues.

As of tonight 6/5/24 there are two sets sitting in Southampton street

The 2nd set was only suppose to spend a night then go back south, it was sent up to test yaw damper mods. The move back scheduled for 6/5 ended up being cancelled due to pantograph issues….

A few videos from the last week...


From June 2nd at Sunnyside Yard


From June 4th in NY Penn


Posted June 5th at Sunnyside Yard

8th Notch wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2024 11:20 am The 2nd set was only suppose to spend a night then go back south, it was sent up to test yaw damper mods. The move back scheduled for 6/5 ended up being cancelled due to pantograph issues….

It moved today.


Unknown date in Connecticut; posted today so could have been today's move


Today's move (6/6) back to Philadelphia filmed at Metropark

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Wed Jun 05, 2024 9:10 amToday:

Huh. Is that the Amtrak app? Is it typical to see extras there? Never would have expected non-revenue trains to appear in public lists. Any chance this appears in track-a-train (or one of the maps that use the same map data like asm.transitdocs.com) but is simply hidden since it can't be matched to a route?




Night 6/4 - morning 6/5
9:23PM - KP2022 clearing east of County and planning to return west
10:23PM - KP2022 asked to call dispatcher (somewhere near County)
11:01PM - #3737 says hi to KP2022
11:10PM - #3891 informed of operating 3 track County to Ham
Several trains thereafter operated down track 3, so KP2022 probably only did 4 runs and then went home. Other NJ Transit trains ran down track 2 after midnight.

No sighting tonight 6/6 through 8:50PM.

JuniusLivonius wrote: ↑Thu Jun 06, 2024 7:18 pm No sighting tonight 6/6 through 8:50PM.

Revision: KP2022 is on the move north out of PCY at 9:06PM

jp1822 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 05, 2024 12:01 pm Are there any update pertaining to the following, regarding the Avelia Liberty train sets:

1) What are the major issues that need to be corrected or further tested at this time (high level)?
2) What's being done to correct any issues, and what's the time frame for corrections?
3) When's the first revenue projected?

If Amtrak gets these train sets into service, it could help with the overall "capacity" issue they having nation wide. For example, keep the Acela's around for a bit to run perhaps in "shuttle" operation (NYP to WAS or NYP to BOS/SPG) and this would free up Amfleets to be used elsewhere in the system as needed. Horizons are only going to be handle only so much as new routes and Ventures go through the remainder of their teething issues.

There don't have to be issues, they are doing acceptance testing. The testing itself takes time, even if it finds zero issues.

The current ETA on revenue service is "late 2024".

Amtrak wants to be rid of the Acela trainsets asap. There are no parts for them, they are unreliable, they have had to reduce the number of sets running just to keep spare parts and spare cars around in case one of the ones in service breaks down. The last thing they want to do is prolong their usage any longer than necessary. Someone is working on getting money back from Alstom for all the losses stemming from delayed/cancelled trains etc.

The day can't come soon enough when these can finally run in revenue service.

I was talking to a buddy over on the High-speed side today and he told me October is the set date to start service. Also the set in Boston has a full interior. First time ive seen that

So the water leaks and other 120 some odd punch list items that were holding the trains up are gradually being chipped away at? Last I heard also, the train sets couldn't be tested at more than 90 mph. Hopefully that's resolved. I can't wait for the new train sets. These train sets have sat around for several years and not been in service. And yes, I've read through all the Alstom-AMtrak woes, but haven't seen anything recently.

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for it, but do you folks think that once the Avelia's are approved for revenue service that the ticket prices for the new trains will go up, down or stay the same? I know they are adding one more car to the trains for a 30% increase in seats per train and are ordering more train sets than the existing Acela Fleet which I assume would translate to additional trains running. But would the additional supply so to speak be offset by the demand for the shiny new trains then stabilize? Is this going to add pressure to or remove pressure from the NER depending on the price or are those different enough clienteles?