Trump admin moving to take control of DC's Union Station
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Amtrak President Roger Harris hosted the official launch of the NextGen Acela, America's new, premium high-speed rail service.
Five new Amtrak trains will begin rolling out between Washington, D.C., New York and Boston at top speeds of 160 miles per hour starting Thursday.
The inaugural NextGen Acela ride is taking off from Washington’s Union Station, where the U.S. Department of Transportation is planning to reclaim management to "restore this federal asset to its former glory," to New York’s Penn Station.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanded Amtrak improve public safety at the train station earlier this year, which aligns with President Donald Trump's administration's broader push to crack down on crime in the nation's capital.
Amtrak's NextGen Acela is considered a "premium ride" for travelers, offering free high-speed Wi-Fi, individual USB ports, power outlets and reading lights. Fares for one-way business class service between Washington and New York on Friday, Aug. 29, ran $498 per traveler, according to Amtrak's booking website.
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NextGen Acela at Wilmington Station. Photo provided by Amtrak taken at an undisclosed date ahead of the service launching in August 2025. (Amtrak)
"NextGen Acela is more than a new train—it’s an evolution of travel," Amtrak President Roger Harris said in an Aug. 7 statement. "In just a few weeks, history will be made with the debut of NextGen Acela as we launch a new standard for American train travel."
A total of 28 trains will enter service by 2027. They offer 27% more seats per departure and more service, with expanded weekday and weekend schedules, Amtrak said.
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A passenger sitsin a NextGen Acela train ahead of its launch on August 2025. (Amtrak / Fox News)
"The NextGen Acela fleet was assembled at Alstom’s facility in Hornell, NY by skilled Machinists Union workers, using components from over 180 suppliers across 29 states—creating approximately 15,000 U.S. jobs," Amtrak said in a media release.
Acela first launched on Dec, 11. 2000 in what Amtrak calls "the nation's busiest rail corridor." The first-edition trains only reached speeds of 150 miles per hour, which is 10 miles per hour less than the new ones.
Members of the National Guard stand at Union Station after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention, in Washington, D.C., Aug. 23, 2025. (REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez / Reuters Photos)
Trump, during his first term, repeatedly sought to cut funding to Amtrak, which received about $2.4 billion in annual federal support in 2023. Congress in March approved $2.42 billion for Amtrak through September 30 in annual funding.
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The railroad company, which has been run since March by its president, Harris, has not named a new CEO. It set a new passenger record last year.
Gxstocks' Lydia Hu and Reuters contributed to this report.
