Regarding Avelia Liberty (Acela 2) speeds
Posted by IsStatenIsland on 2 August 2025 in English. Last updated on 3 August 2025.https://archive.org/details/AMTK-NEC-employee-timetable-20250505-si
This is the most up to date Northeast Corridor Employee Timetable (ETT) I’ve requested, published May 5, 2025. It contains Amtrak’s maximum authorized speeds on the Northeast Corridor. The Acela 2’s planned speeds (mostly focusing on changing 150 to 160 mph) have not yet been integrated into the rules by Amtrak, despite the observed or assumed compatibility with 160 mph service by track class, catenary structure or demonstration in recent test runs. The current runs remain just that: test runs.
There are currently 4 sections of 150 mph (for Type A trains and on the “main” or “inner” two tracks) on the Northeast Corridor:
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New Jersey: Midway & CP Clark
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Rhode Island #1: MP 154.3 & MP 171.7, except Cv MP 159.7 & MP 160.5 and Cv MP 170.5 & MP 170.9
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Rhode Island #2: MP 174.5 & MP 180.5, except Cv MP 180.1 & MP 180.2 and Cv MP 180.2 & MP 180.5
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Massachusetts: MP 194.5 & MP 205
New Jersey, County & Midway is really close at 145 mph (except 3 curves) and I’m not sure what’s going to happen with that.
One of two things needs to happen before OSM can be updated with the new speeds:
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A new ETT is issued with blanket authorization of new speeds (perhaps without even authorizing any actual train type)
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A revenue run is observed at the new speeds
I’ve set up this tag regime to give editors a signal that the maximum speed data is extremely recent and not just based on casual observation:
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planned:maxspeed=”160 mph”
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source:maxspeed=”Amtrak ETT 2025-05-05”
I’ve additionally set planned:maxspeed=”160 mph” on the “between CP Clark & Ham” section as that is actually planned and possibly under construction.
There may be changes in speeds on certain curves which is why I would prefer to wait for a new ETT anyway so all changes can be done at once.
If you are an Amtrak employee or someone in the know and you learn of a new ETT publication with new speed information, let me know about the publication date so I can request it. I have no direct way of knowing when new ETT publications come out.
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