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

daybeers wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 4:01 pm Thought it was supposed to be 165?

165 has been quoted mistakenly, I believe even by the president of Amtrak, but while the Avelia Liberty has been testing at 165 the max operational speed is 160, the top speed that FRA Class 8 track permits.

Presumably the 150 mph sections will get bumped to 160 for the next gen Acela when it goes into service, but for now this should let the current Acela get up to 150 mph.

daybeers wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 4:01 pm Thought it was supposed to be 165?

There's a separate application which, if approved, would increase the operational speed to 160.

https://www.regulations.gov/document/FRA-2010-0029-0162

Operation at Speeds up to 160 MPH (AAR CM Issue #9)
Enhancements to existing office, onboard, and wayside systems to support operation at speeds up to 160 MPH for new Acela trainsets. When the ATC Cab Signal System receives a dual 180 code, the ADU will display Aspect text that reads “CLEAR 160” (compared to display of “CLEAR 150” before this change).

Wasn't the original Acela tested at 165 or so a few years ago?

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:06 pm Wasn't the original Acela tested at 165 or so a few years ago?

It tested and hit 165 but until the track's rated for it, it's stuck at 150.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 9:27 pm

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:06 pm Wasn't the original Acela tested at 165 or so a few years ago?

It tested and hit 165 but until the track's rated for it, it's stuck at 150.

So how will the Avelia go any faster?

photobug56 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 10:43 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 9:27 pm
It tested and hit 165 but until the track's rated for it, it's stuck at 150.

So how will the Avelia go any faster?

Any track that is currently used for >125 mph is already FRA Class 8, which permits up to 160 mph. So, it's more about the signaling and getting the FRA to approve the equipment for it. The first gen Acela was tested several years ago for a potential bump to 160 but I'm guessing that for whatever reason that didn't get the go ahead. So, 160 will wait for the Avelia Liberty.

Here are those Acela tests - that was 9 years ago already!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWf-ipNl5fQ

Understood, though those tests seemed to go very well.

Has anyone else noticed the with the Avelia Liberty Amtrak appears to be rebranding Business Class as Acela Class?

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I've seen zero reference to this. Since the Avelia hasn't launched yet, I'm not sure where this would be seen...

Are the Avelias still slated to enter service in February?

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:06 pm Wasn't the original Acela tested at 165 or so a few years ago?

Don't FRA regulations also require trains to be tested at 15 mph above their operational top speed? Hence 165 for 150 mph operations, Sprinters testing at 140, etc.

Greg Moore wrote:I've seen zero reference to this. Since the Avelia hasn't launched yet, I'm not sure where this would be seen...

The new cars say Acela Class on them.

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TurningOfTheWheel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:15 pm

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:06 pm Wasn't the original Acela tested at 165 or so a few years ago?

Don't FRA regulations also require trains to be tested at 15 mph above their operational top speed? Hence 165 for 150 mph operations, Sprinters testing at 140, etc.

No it is actually 10% above operational speeds. So 150 + 10& + 165. Works great doesn't it? For the planned 160 MPH operational speeds = 176 test speeds.

How long is the Northeast Corridor?

IAW 49 CFR Part 213 Sections 9 and 307[, how many miles of the Corridor are rated at each FRA track classification?

I submit that if less than 20% of the miles in the Corridor are rated at Class 7 or greater, buying Avelia will have been an exercise in waste. The better use of money would have been to buy parcels of land that permit, with construction of new track alignments, upgrades of FRA classification for worked segments.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:16 am How long is the Northeast Corridor?

457 miles if I recall correctly (226 WAS - NYP and 231 NYP - BOS).

IAW 49 CFR Part 213 Sections 9 and 307[, how many miles of the Corridor are rated at each FRA track classification?

Between the Mass, Rhode Island, and New Jersey 160 mph segments, I think it's a little over 50 miles of Class 8, so just over 10% of the route length. But there is a lot of additional Class 7 125 mph track.