TRANSPORTATION

Inside the plant building the fastest passenger trains in America

New Acela trains represent a significant step toward national aspirations for faster and more reliable train service

By Luz Lazo
September 22, 2022 at 10:42 a.m. EDT

HORNELL, N.Y. — In a sprawling complex surrounded by hills, hundreds of yellow-vested workers are building the nation’s fastest trains — resembling the European-style rail cars that have largely been absent from American tracks. ... The buzz of activity fills the Alstom manufacturing plant in this small western New York town, where concrete floors shine and the whizzing of drills echoes to the high ceilings. In every direction, Amtrak’s most advanced rail cars sit in various stages of construction.

The new Acela trains will roll through the nation’s busiest rail stations beginning next year, representing a significant step toward America’s aspirations for modern, faster and more reliable intercity train service. The trains will overhaul passenger service in the busy Northeast Corridor, aiming to improve safety, reliability, rider comfort and capacity. ... Their delivery will provide a pandemic-era boost to Amtrak, adding to momentum for a massive expansion backed by unprecedented political and financial support from Washington. With their aerodynamic white-and-blue exteriors, touchless doors, USB outlets and improved cafe cars, they are an upgrade from the 22-year-old vehicles they will replace.

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An Amtrak Acela train is assembled at the Alstom production facility. (Heather Ainsworth for The Washington Post)

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Completed trainsets in the yard of the Alstom production facility. The facility sits adjacent to the main railway line that runs through Hornell. (Heather Ainsworth for The Washington Post)

The birthplace of American high-speed rail

Railroads have been part of Hornell’s fabric since Erie Railroad arrived in the mid-1800s, connecting New York City with western New York and establishing repair shops in the city. The industry is still the city’s largest employer, with more than 700 workers at the Alstom complex.

“We’re literally the place in the United States of America that produces high-speed rail,” said Mayor John J. Buckley, a Hornell native whose office is decorated with images of the old train depot in the heart of town. “If your city is looking to expand to high-speed rail or to refurbish existing [rail] cars, Hornell is the hotbed of that.”

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Alstom employees assemble a train car. (Heather Ainsworth for The Washington Post)

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By Luz Lazo
Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Twitter https://twitter.com/luzcita