Amtrak's high-speed Acela service has been suspended

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Amtrak’s high-speed Acela service has been suspended

"We have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets."

Amtrak suspended service on its high-speed Acela trains on the Northeast Corridor on Monday, due to reduced demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Acela trains travel between Boston and Washington D.C. multiple times a day.

“While Amtrak continues to operate across the nation, we have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets,” Amtrak officials wrote in a press release.

Travelers can still ride the Northeast Regional trains to New York and Washington, D.C., which are operating on a reduced schedule. Downeaster trains, which travel between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, are also operating on a reduced schedule. The company released a list of all trains operating on a reduced schedule and noted that cafe service has also stopped on some trains.

{snip}

MARCH 29, 2020 AMTRAK: UPDATES TO SERVICE

March 29, 2020

11:40 a.m. ET

While Amtrak continues to operate across the nation, we have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets. The most up-to-date schedules are available when booking your trip on Amtrak.com and in the mobile app.

Operating on a reduced schedule:

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[DonaldsRump]

1. Great, so it allows passengers to stay on the train together longer?

Why not just make all trains Acelas? Wouldn't that be the smarter thing to do health-wise, time-wise, consumer-wise, and business-wise?

[VMA131Marine]

2. The Acela can only run on electrified lines for one thing

Outside the NE corridor, most of Amtrak service uses diesel equipment and they mostly don’t own the track so could not electrify it even if they had the resources.