Amtrak is slated to make several improvements to its railroad system in the coming years, including overhauling its overnight trains, resuming service in the Gulf Coast and turning up the speed on a popular Midwestern route. Unfortunately, updating its high-speed train service is seemingly not one of them for now.
Amtrak’s $2.5 billion plan to replace its Acela fleet with 28 new trains along its busiest rail stations from Washington, D.C. and Boston is more than two years behind schedule and facing further delays, revealed a 38-page report by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General. The audit cites complications in the federal approval process and escalating costs for the setbacks.
French manufacturing company Alstom was hired to develop the fleet and, so far, the trains they’ve delivered have not passed muster. According to Amstrak’s inspector general, the new trains have design flaws, failed computer testing and did not meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requirements. The report says Amtrak has already spent $1.6 billion on the project, with improvements to its legacy rails (some nearly 200 years old) partly the reason for the rising costs.
In a statement published by the Washington Post, Alstom spokesman Clifford Cole said the company is working with the FRA and Amtrak to get through the certification process and meet FRA requirements. Additionally, he notes that Amtrak authorized every train released despite the report highlighting their “defects.”
The project was slated for completion in May 2021 and it’s looking like the new trains will enter service at some point in 2024. Fingers crossed?