Washington Post: Inside the plant building the fastest passenger trains in America
EDITOR'S NOTE: The workers at the plant belong to IAM Transportation Division Local 2741. Click here to read Tomorrow's Trains from the IAM.
New Acela trains represent a significant step toward national aspirations for faster and more reliable train service
By LUZ LAZO
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.