Amtrak’s Acela service gets passengers from D.C. to New York pretty quickly, but an even quicker option will be available this fall.
Starting Sept. 23, Amtrak will run once-a-day nonstop Acela service between D.C. and New York, eliminating all stops. Amtrak says that will shave 15 minutes off the average Acela service, making the D.C. to New York trip (and visa versa) 2 hours 35 minutes.
Current Acela service has anywhere from four to seven stops between Union Station and Penn Station. The standard Northeast Regional run between D.C. and New York has as many as nine stops.
Initially, the nonstop Acela will depart New York’s Penn Station at 6:35 a.m. and arrive in D.C. around 9:10 a.m. The northbound train will depart Union Station at 4:30 p.m. and arrive around 7:05 p.m.
There will be no premium for the nonstop Acela run. Fares will be the same as other Acela fares.
While Acela Nonstop will be available only once per day beginning September 23, Amtrak says it will be weighing the potential expansion in terms of location and frequency.
New York’s Penn Station and D.C.’s Union Station are Amtrak’s two busiest stations in the country.
While the new service is only once a day, Amtrak said it will weigh the potential of expanding the service.
The announcement of Acela Nonstop comes in advance of Amtrak’s 2021 launch of brand new Acela trains, which are already in production.
Earlier this month, Amtrak offered a sneak peek at those new, faster Acela trainsets.
