Amtrak recently introduced the next generation of trains on its eastern corridor between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The Acela NextGen trains are basically what the French railways SNCF are referring to as the TGV M, which somehow manages to look just a little bit meaner and cooler than its predecessor. The Amtrak trains run at a top speed of 260 km/h, whereas the French TGV M can go at a cool 320 km/h and will be introduced on the French network this year.

Getting to Penn Station

The train to Philadelphia departs from the legendary Moynihan Train Hall of Penn Station, near Madison Square Garden, which is south of the Sofitel where I’m staying. I leave the hotel early and first head north to Central Park along Fifth Avenue before I loop back to the Rockefeller Centre and the Avenue of the Americas on Sixth. I just love the iconography of the Rockefeller Centre!

Access to the long-haul trains is from Moynihan Train Hall, which opened in 2021. It’s a large, pleasant station that was clearly designed to handle the huge crowds that pass through the station daily.

The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge

The Amtrak lounge is located one floor up from the general public area and is open to all passengers travelling with a First Class ticket. It’s rather a nice lounge. It’s spacious and comfortable. There’s also a sitting area out on the terrace overlooking the hall, which is even more impressive to see from above.

There is an attended buffet in the lounge serving breakfast dishes during my visit. I’m guessing these change throughout the day. In any case, I ask for the chia and oats pudding with fruit, a cappuccino, and a sparkling water.

Amtrak Acela Boarding

The train is running slightly behind schedule, and is now expected to depart at 11h15 instead of at 11h00. Just after 11h00, a boarding announcement is made inviting passengers to head downstairs to the departures concourse, where boarding will start soon on platform 13. The First Class coach is located at the head of the train, which has stopped at the platform so that the boarding door is abeam with the bottom end of the escalator.

The Acela NextGen First Class Cabin & Seat

The cabin is wide and spacious. Seats are arranged in a configuration of three seats abreast, with single seats on one side and twin seats on the other. At the time of booking you can select your preferred seat on a map of the cabin. There are seats facing in both directions of travel, with a few rows of opposing seats for larger groups travelling together. There’s also plenty of storage available for luggage.

The seat itself is comfortable. My only complaint is that it has leather covers, which tend to make me sweat. Each seat has an adjustable foot rest, a tray table, and a cup holder. There’s also an individual reading light. Noteworthy is the recline of the seat, which is achieved by moving the bottom of the seat forward to avoid cutting into the space of the person behind.

The Amtrak Service & Crew

There are two crew serving the First Class cabin. Both of them are gentlemen in their early forties, if I had to guess. As we pull out of Penn Station, one of them passes through the cabin handing out the menus for the journey, while the other passes through the cabin with bottles of San Pellegrino sparkling water or Fiji still water.

The Amtrak Acela First Class Meal

Next, the crew come through the cabin with ramekins of warm nuts and taking orders for drinks. One thing I’ve noticed on this trip is that water, whether it’s still or sparkling, isn’t treated as a drink.

There are several options for lunch, and I decide to have the Greek mezze. It’s a nice, light meal served with pita bread and Italian water crackers. The one thing I notice about the train during the meal service, is just how much our coach vibrates as soon as the train picks up speed. Basically, all you can hear in the cabin during the meal service, is the sound of the cutlery clanking against that plates.

As a side note, I also took a photo of the meal I had on the return leg to New York. I had the cheese and fruit plate, which was served with a warm roll and also included a small chocolate lava cake for dessert. It’s just a small thing, I know, but what they refer to on the menu as Gruyère is actually an Emmental.

Arrival in Philadelphia

The journey from New York to Philadelphia take about eighty minutes. We disembark, but before I head up to the arrival concourse, I quickly nip to the front of the train to take a photo of the business end of the train. As in New York, the platforms are underground. The main hall of the Philadelphia station is quite spectacular.

I rather like Philadelphia. The first thing you notice coming from New York, is the sheer amount of space there is. It’s an openly laid out city. From the stations I walk down Market Street and past city hall to visit the Liberty Bell and Liberty Hall. From there I amble through Reading Food Market, where you can get I don’t know how many variations of the famous Philadelphia Cheese Steak. And then from there I amble around town until eventually, it’s time to head back to the station for my return to New York.

Conclusion

I must say, I’m quite impressed by the Amtrak Acela service on this trip. I think in Europe we tend to expect rail services in the US to be unattractive and run down. And while that may be the case in other parts of the country, nothing could be further from the truth on the Boston to Washington corridor. The First Class experience at the stations and on board the train was very good and rather pleasant.