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

Assigned seating is almost certainly due to the difference between the sets and Amtrak wanting the flexibility to change sets if issues arise. Amtrak bills it as a perk of business class and I suspect it will be back once the old fleet is retired.

I personally am taking that whole post with a large portion of salt.

I'll pull back up a couple of pictures from Amtrak. I assume that these have been posted but I'll bring them back up as a refresher. Granted, this is assuming that the sets from the promotional photos are the same as the production sets.

https://www.amtrak.com/next-generation- ... eed-trains Looking at the overhead bin space I think that may be an exaggeration on what goes up there, I mean this seems about the same as amfleets with provisions for larger bags in the back of the car. The Venture Car seat issue was known, again looking at the seats and this video at https://youtu.be/IuG7s2oTPv0?si=NH5h1bO_xdZbh7Cu&t=98 at 1:38 you can see that there are folds for the seat to move in the manner described and not tilting backwards. I also noticed on re-watch that Amtrak reps touted everything about the new seats except their tilting ability.

As for the dining service, taking a second look at the Amtrak promotional photos there doesn't appear to be a kitchen visible, and I'm assuming I'm looking at the FWD and AFT directions of the first class car. For as grumpy as I can be with Amtrak I will be sad if they get rid of that for first class, I do like that service

I just hope the existing rolling stock can make it, I really don't know what Amtrak could even do if the current fleet gives out

daybeers wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:40 pm I personally am taking that whole post with a large portion of salt.

lol:

amtraktrains.com Acela150 wrote: Man I’m glad that most of this isn’t true.

8:03PM KP2022 / Avelia Liberty on the move out of PCY
8:05PM to CETC-5: "around the wye and then head east for testing"

Did not hear any specific bounds for testing tonight.

8:23PM crossed the Schuylkill without stopping
8:33PM passed Tacony

theMainer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 9:27 pm I'm hearing unconfirmed rumors over on Reddit about an unveiling date for the Acela II's (this was apparently said by an Acela first class attendant). I wouldn't consider it true by any means just yet, however it is interesting if true.

Full Reddit Post is here

I had an expiring upgrade coupon, so I used it to ride first class this morning. I overheard the attendant talking to a passenger about Avelia Liberty. The train crew has been taken to see the new trains.

• Ribbon cutting is March 26, 2025. I don't know if this will be public or not, and I don't know what city it will be in.

• Avelia Liberty trainsets will be added one by one as they become available, they will not all be available right off the bat.

• The overhead luggage racks are very thin. They're considering measuring people's bags on the platform and not letting them board if their bag is too big.

• The seats will be Venture Car style. The recline will be implemented by the front of the seat moving forward, but the back will stay in place.

• At least at first, there will no longer be assigned seating. All seats will be first come first served.

• The new trains are desperately needed. There are concerns about if the current fleet can even make it to March 26.

• First class meal service will be on carts. I couldn't quite hear if the rest of the train will also get cart service

Hi, I'm the one who made that post on Reddit (happy to verify that with a moderator here if needed). To be clear, I'm taking it with a lot of salt too. I'm just relaying what I heard from the attendant. Luggage measuring on the platform sounds extremely disruptive to me, so I have a hard time believing that they're actually going to do that. I do believe that they told the attendant that this is the plan, or at least a possibility.

8:08PM - Avelia Liberty (KP2022) lights on
8:10PM - Avelia Liberty on the move
8:11PM - KP2022 to CETC-5: doing testing County - Ham
8:20PM - Crossed Schuylkill river
8:30PM - Passing Tacony

8:13PM - KP2022 ready to do testing County - Ham

Just waiting for Schuylkill crossing so I can make sure it's Avelia Liberty

8:22PM - Avelia Liberty crossed Schuylkill River without stopping

There are now 2 sets here in Boston

CJYP wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 8:44 am
Hi, I'm the one who made that post on Reddit (happy to verify that with a moderator here if needed). To be clear, I'm taking it with a lot of salt too. I'm just relaying what I heard from the attendant. Luggage measuring on the platform sounds extremely disruptive to me, so I have a hard time believing that they're actually going to do that. I do believe that they told the attendant that this is the plan, or at least a possibility.

Hey welcome and interesting post.

I agree that luggage measuring could really put a dent in the schedule. I also can't understand whey they needed to reinvent this luggage rack situation when most HST in Europe have a parcel rack above and then a large baggage rack by the doors. But Amtrak is know for doing their own thing (poorly).

As for the trains making it to next year, we're at almost 25 years which seems typical for HST and most railroad equipment in front line service. Amtrak seemed hell bent on ordering a second set of specialty HST when I feel a matching (looks like HST) Siemens set such as the Railjet would've been more economical and easy to maintain. People pay premium for Acela for convenience and predictability, I don't think the big Acela spenders really know how fast it goes day-to-day.

Agree, plus the "premium experience".

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 9:44 am I agree that luggage measuring could really put a dent in the schedule. I also can't understand whey they needed to reinvent this luggage rack situation when most HST in Europe have a parcel rack above and then a large baggage rack by the doors. But Amtrak is know for doing their own thing (poorly).

They'll probably follow the airlines and have a measurement guide on display saying "Check if your bag is too big to fit overhead!" and have folks put the bag in it to measure it. If push comes to shove, maybe $20 in materials can make a fold-out version. Would be funny if the conductors are issued tape measures.

~8:20PM KP2022 to CETC-5: doing testing Ham - County tonight

8:35PM - CETC-6 says #138 will be going ahead before KP2022

#138 passed Tacony at 8:48PM and Avelia Liberty at 8:51PM

8:54PM Avelia Liberty passed Cornwells Heights

Idk why anyone thinks Amtrak is actually going to measure luggage.

This whole post was fact checked on another forum.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 1:50 pm Would be funny if the conductors are issued tape measures.

If you read Larry Drawdy's book about life as a conductor in Seattle (AND EVERYBODY SHOULD!!!) he tells a story of the crews being issued handout paper rulers to give to passengers with some cheerfull round graphics at one end outside the distance markings on both sides of the ruler.

When you turned it over to the blank side, it looked just like a schlong. Someone quickly collected all of them and threw them in a box and they were never seen again!

Great book.

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 9:44 am Hey welcome and interesting post.

I agree that luggage measuring could really put a dent in the schedule. I also can't understand whey they needed to reinvent this luggage rack situation when most HST in Europe have a parcel rack above and then a large baggage rack by the doors. But Amtrak is know for doing their own thing (poorly).

As for the trains making it to next year, we're at almost 25 years which seems typical for HST and most railroad equipment in front line service. Amtrak seemed hell bent on ordering a second set of specialty HST when I feel a matching (looks like HST) Siemens set such as the Railjet would've been more economical and easy to maintain. People pay premium for Acela for convenience and predictability, I don't think the big Acela spenders really know how fast it goes day-to-day.

Thank you for the welcome! People might not know how fast the train goes, but they certainly know what the travel time is from their origin to their destination.

daybeers wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 8:19 pm Idk why anyone thinks Amtrak is actually going to measure luggage.

This whole post was fact checked on another forum.

I have to believe the evidence of my own ears. Maybe Amtrak mentioned it offhand, as a joke or a "we might even have to do this" - and the attendant took that to mean it's a certainty. He was definitely down on the customer experience on the new trains, so he could have had some confirmation bias of his own.

Anyway, I definitely hope it's wrong or misleading. Not having to worry about luggage is one of the things that sets trains apart from flying. That said, I heard what I heard.