BOSTON (WHDH) - A brand new high speed Amtrak train rolled into South Station Wednesday night: the Acela NextGen now takes passengers up and down the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C.
Amtrak said along with more passenger space, these new trains hit a top speed of 160 miles per hour, offer 5G internet access, and a larger café area.
“There’s no question that a whole new generation of riders have joined the Amtrak family, and this train was built to accomodate that demand,” said Anthony Coscia of Amtrak.
But, shortly after the new train pulled into Boston for the first time, the deputy transportation secretary hinted that South Station could face a federal takeover.
The train left from Union Station in D.C. Wednesday morning, stopping in New York City before coming to Boston.
During a news conference before the inaugural ride, transportation secretary Sean Duffy announced the agency plans to take control of D.C.’s Union Station in September, saying the building has “fallen into disrepair”.
“We think that we can manage the property better, bring in more tenants, bring in more revenue, and that revenue is going to allow us to make investments in this beautiful building,” Duffy said.
The Trump administration said it wants to combat crime and dirty conditions at stations along the line.
“Here in South Boston, we need to address the cleanliness, the crime, the safety, and security of the station for the rail workers, for the passengers, because the people of Boston deserve that,” deputy secretary of transportation Steve Bradbury said.
Union Station is owned by the Department of Transportation and it’s daily operations are run by the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation.
The MBTA oversees South Station.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has pushed back on the Trump administration’s claims about crime in the city, saying Boston is the safest major city in the country.
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