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RailwayHigh-Speed Rail Today: NextGen Acela and SCMaglev
Twenty flashcards on America's new 160 mph Acela and the Japanese maglev that set the world railway speed record.
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20 cards
- When did NextGen Acela start carrying passengers?
- August 27, 2025: 5:00 a.m. ET in Washington, DC, and 6:00 a.m. ET in Boston.
- Where does NextGen Acela run?
- Between Washington, DC, New York and Boston, with stops in between.
- What is NextGen Acela's top speed?
- 160 mph, higher than the 150 mph of the previous fleet.
- How many NextGen Acela trains are coming?
- 28 brand-new trains entering service through 2027.
- How much more room does NextGen Acela offer?
- 27% more seats per departure.
- Where were the NextGen Acela trains assembled?
- At Alstom's facility in Hornell, New York.
- How many suppliers built parts for NextGen Acela?
- Over 180 suppliers across 29 states.
- What makes the NextGen Acela ride smoother?
- A tilt system, which gives a smoother, quieter ride.
- When did the first Acela enter service, and how many guests has it carried?
- December 11, 2000; over 69 million guests since then.
- What milestone did NextGen Acela reach on May 22, 2026?
- One million customer trips.
- How does Amtrak describe Acela in the United States?
- As America's only high-speed rail service.
- Who develops the SCMaglev, and when did the research begin?
- Central Japan Railway Company; Japanese National Railways began the research in 1962.
- How fast does the SCMaglev run, and who controls its speed?
- Up to 311 mph; an automatic train operation system regulates the speed from a ground control room.
- What speed record did the Series L0 set?
- 375 mph in manned operation in April 2015, a world railway speed record.
- How long is the Yamanashi Maglev Line, and what will it become?
- 26.6 miles; it will become part of the Chuo Shinkansen.
- When did full-scale running tests start on the Yamanashi line?
- April 3, 1997, after the line was completed in March 1997.
- How far did a maglev trainset travel in a single day?
- 2,525 miles, in April 2015.
- How far have the test maglevs traveled since 1997?
- 2.04 million miles, like circling the Earth 82 times.
- What did the high-speed passing tests prove?
- Two maglev trains can pass in opposite directions safely; the relative speed record was 638 mph in November 2004.
- What changed in the Series L0 Improved, running since 2020?
- A new nose cuts air resistance by approx. 13%, and inductive power replaced the gas turbines.
Official sources
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Amtrak Makes History Launching NextGen Acela Service (August 27, 2025)
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
NextGen Acela Media Kit
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
NextGen Acela Fleet Fact Sheet
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Amtrak Celebrates One Million Customer Trips on NextGen Acela (May 22, 2026)
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)
SCMaglev: Yamanashi Maglev Line (overview, history and running tests)
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)
SCMaglev: Safety systems
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)
SCMaglev: About the vehicle (Series L0 and Series L0 Improved)
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