Amtrak unveils new high-speed, low-carbon trains with sleek extras

Amtrak's new fleet of high-speed trains is going to reduce carbon consumption by almost half, giving passengers in the northeast a more sustainable way to travel.

Comfortable, low carbon transport is the name of the game over at Amtrak. At least in the Acela line. The rail company recently unveiled its new-look, high-speed Acela train for passengers living along the northeast corridor and it comes with sleek new extras including 25% more seats, more legroom, as well as more spacious restrooms and larger storage compartments for luggage.

Its upgraded cafe car will have more dining and beverage options, including a greater selection of meals and craft beers, and will come with more eco-friendly packaging. Those who need to get some work done on the road will be able to plug their laptops and phones into personal outlets and USB ports at every seat, while taking advantage of the complimentary Wi-Fi on board. There are also adjustable reading lights at every seat.

Accessibility has been improved too for passengers with disabilities, allowing them to move more easily throughout the trains. There's also built-in technology that will inform passengers of their location, travel speed and any announcements from the conductor. What's more, the trains will speed up northeast travel by running at 160 miles per hour – that's 10 miles per hour faster than current models. And thanks to their lightweight design, they'll reduce carbon output by about 40% per customer.

Set to hit the tracks in 2021, the new fleet will travel along the current Acela line between Boston and Washington, DC.

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