Amtrak quietly and with out fanfare accepted delivery of the 20th and final Acela trainset from Bombardier on June 2nd. This is over two and a half years after they took delivery of the very first Acela and over four years late based upon the contracts original delivery schedule. Considering Acela's ongoing maintenance issues, along with David Gunn's belief that Amtrak should never have purchased this design, it's really not surprising that this milestone passed quietly in the night.
While David Gunn has vowed never to purchase another Acela trainset, he has indicated a willingness to purchase some extra cars from Bombardier. This of course assumes that Bombardier can resolve all of the maintenance problems, Amtrak can find the money, and the two parties can settle their lawsuits. The extra cars would be used to lengthen some of the existing trainsets and to provide maintenance spares if needed.
Complete consist listings of all twenty sets, along with the acceptance dates, can be found here on On Track On Line.
While David Gunn has vowed never to purchase another Acela trainset, he has indicated a willingness to purchase some extra cars from Bombardier. This of course assumes that Bombardier can resolve all of the maintenance problems, Amtrak can find the money, and the two parties can settle their lawsuits. The extra cars would be used to lengthen some of the existing trainsets and to provide maintenance spares if needed.
Complete consist listings of all twenty sets, along with the acceptance dates, can be found here on On Track On Line.