By Kris Van Cleave, CBS This Morning, CBS News; June 11, 2019
Amtrak plans to replace its popular Acela trains in 2021 with new ones that will hold more people, travel faster and have improved safety features. The new trains would shave 15-20 minutes off the popular New York City-D.C. route, which currently takes about three hours, and will travel up to 160 mph.
While high-speed rail has struggled to take hold in the U.S., for Amtrak, it’s these fast trains that are pushing it toward profitability. CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave got a first look at the new Acelas that are being assembled in the U.S. at a sprawling factory in western New York.