On August 26, 2016, Vice President Joe Biden announced a $2.45 billion federal loan package to pay for new Acela equipment, as well as upgrades to the NEC. The loans will finance 28 train-sets that will replace the existing fleet of twenty. This will allow for hourly New York-Boston service all day and half-hourly New York-Washington service at peak hours. The new trains will be called Avelia Liberty. They will have 30% greater seating capacity, active tilt technology and could operate at 186 miles per hour (299 km/h) if infrastructure improvements were completed to allow the higher speeds. The trains will be built by Alstom in Hornell and Rochester, New York. The new trains will be phased in between 2021 and 2022, after which the current fleet is to be retired. Amtrak will pay off the loans from increased NEC passenger revenue.
Acela Express trainsets will feature:
- “Spacious and smooth leather seats” with integrated in-seat lighting, power sockets, and USB ports.
- Each seat will be equipped with a dual-tray table, providing the passenger with a choice of large or small tables.
- High-speed passenger Wi-Fi
- An advanced seat reservation system
- Restrooms that will be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
- Seats for 386 passengers, an increase of nearly 30% compared with the current equipment.