The Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States is mainly served by Amtrak‘s Acela Express and the Northeast Regional. These trains travel from Boston through Providence, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC (some Northeast Regional trains go on into Virginia).
Although they serve the same corridor, you’ll find several differences including comfort, speed, and cost. Let’s review a few of these differences and see which train service is better for people.
Seats and Comfort
The biggest difference here is the class of service that’s offered. The Northeast Regional offers coach and business class, while the Acela offers business class and first class.
Here’s a look at the coach seats on the Northeast Regional.
I actually find these coach seats to be very comfy. The seats are well cushioned as you can see in the above photos. Note that these seats do not have middle armrests.
Legroom, however, can become tight towards the end of a trip. Some people don’t have issues with this legroom, but a little more room here would help as a 6’1 person.
Let’s take a look at the Acela seats next.
Although I find the Northeast Regional seats to be a bit more comfy, the Acela seats still do the job. More importantly, legroom is much better on these seats (it’s business class after all).
Another thing to consider is that the Acela has reserved seating, and the Northeast Regional does not. If you have a particular seat you desire or are traveling on a busy holiday weekend, the Acela may be a better choice (business class on the Regional does have reserved seating, but mind as well take the Acela if you’re going to pay for business class).
I personally prefer the Acela with more legroom and reserved seating. Many people can make the Northeast Regional seats work, but I’ve overall felt more comfortable on the Acela speaking from my many experiences.
Related: A guide to the Amtrak Guest Rewards Loyalty Program
Speed and Stops
Speeds differ by a fair amount. The Northeast Regional has a top speed of 125mph or 200kmh, while the Acela has a top speed of 150mph or 240kmh. However, average speeds are lower as these trains are unable to run at top speeds due to curvy routes and tracks not designed for high speed rail. Ultimately, the Northeast Regional is only a bit slower than the Acela.
The Acela doesn’t make a lot of stops, while the Northeast Regional does. After the three Boston stops, the Acela typically stops at Providence, New Haven, and Stamford before reaching New York. The Northeast Regional will make a bunch of stops in Connecticut on the way.
From New York, the Acela typically stops at Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore before arriving in Washington DC. Again, the Regional makes more stops along the way in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Although trip times are only a bit longer on the Northeast Regional, it can psychologically feel longer due to all of the stops. Again, this is more of a personal thought, but an Acela that’s 20 minutes faster is a different world compared to the Regional stopping every 10 minutes in Connecticut.
Price
Prices can differ significantly. The Acela is more expensive, and can be very expensive at times compared to the Northeast Regional.
The Acela usually begins at $70 if you book in advance, and usually goes up to around $200+ near departure. The Northeast Regional starts at $25 if you book in advance, and usually goes up to around $150+ near departure.
Passenger demographics tell a big story here. The majority of Acela passengers are commuters and business travelers. Since these travelers tend to be price inelastic, higher Acela prices won’t matter much. College students, groups of friends and family on vacation may prefer the Northeast Regional more, as it’s typically the more affordable option.
Related: 4 ways to get cheap Amtrak fares
Bottom Line
If an employer or somebody is paying for your trip, I would pick the Acela without a question. However, I would probably pick the Northeast Regional if you’re paying it yourself. The price difference you typically see is too much to justify the little travel time difference.
I personally wouldn’t pay more than about $75 in addition to the price of the Regional to book the Acela.
All photos taken by the author.
