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Amtrak's high-speed Acela train is about to get a big upgrade.
2025-08-25
A new fleet launching on August 28 will be faster and more modern than the current cars. This news has me thinking about the first time I booked an Amtrak Acela ticket.
Acela is an Amtrak express train on the East Coast with only business and first-class seating. I rode it for the first time in 2022 from Baltimore to NYC. The trip took two hours and 25 minutes — about 30 minutes faster than a regular Amtrak train.
Two weeks before my trip, I booked a standard, business-class Amtrak Acela ticket for $120. According to a search on the company's website, a coach ticket on a regular train booked two weeks in advance might cost between $30 and $70.
I thought booking the Acela option was worth paying extra for a quicker journey.
I got to Baltimore's Penn Station at around 3 p.m. for my 4:29 p.m. train on a Tuesday.
Penn Station in Baltimore seen in the afternoon.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
It was my first time leaving from Baltimore's Penn Station, and I couldn't find any outlets to charge my phone, so I picked up a puzzle book from the newsstand inside to pass the time.
At 4:15 p.m., I descended to the platform to wait for my train.
The reporter's train platform.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The train arrived three minutes late at 4:32 p.m. I boarded immediately, ensuring I was in the business-class car.
As I boarded the train, I noticed that the seats looked larger than those on other trains I had been on.
Inside the business-class car.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
A representative for Amtrak told Business Insider that seats in business class are 20 inches wide and 26 feet deep.
I had plenty of legroom and a few amenities in my window seat.
The reporter's business-class seat.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The Amtrak rep said that seat pitches in business class are 42 inches.
There was a reading light above me, a tray table in front of me, and a footrest beneath me. There were also two power outlets on the wall next to my seat.
I got a little hungry, but there was no food service in business class, so I made my way to the café car.
The reporter ventured to the café car.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The café had tables and stools, but I decided to take my food back to my seat.
I spent about $6 on a plate of cheese and crackers.
The reporter's snack.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The café car menu had a wide variety of options, from salads and sandwiches to cheeseburgers and hot dogs, but I wasn't that hungry, so I got a cheese and cracker plate for $5.75.
It was decent and filled me up for the price.
Overall, my business-class experience on an Amtrak Acela was decent and affordable.
A view out the reporter's window.Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I'll probably take an Amtrak Acela next time I travel around the Northeast because I think it's worth paying a little extra to save time.
And I can't wait to try the next generation of Acela trains.
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Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining Business Insider in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, including overnight rides lasting up to 53 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, Nightjet, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. When she's not taking trains, notes, or pictures, Joey spends her time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval.
