Alstom unveils livery of Avelia Liberty high-speed trainsets for Amtrak's NEC

Rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has unveiled the livery of its next-generation high-speed Avelia Liberty trains, which are set to operate on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the US.

The new livery's design features Amtrak’s characteristic blue, red and white colours with an additional section of grey at the front.

Amtrak originally placed an order with Alstom for 28 Avelia Liberty trains in August last year in order to replace the existing fleet of Acela trainsets.

The upgrade is expected to increase passenger capacity, reduce journey times and improve overall operating efficiency.

Alstom's new Avelia Liberty trains are also able to carry up to 33% more passengers than the current Acela trains.

The new trainsets will feature a compact power car and nine passenger cars, with the option to add three more cars if required.

Alstom's new vehicles are equipped with the company’s Crash Energy Management system and will be capable of travelling at a speed up to 186mph.

"Alstom's new vehicles are equipped with the company’s Crash Energy Management system and will be capable of travelling at a speed up to 186mph."

In addition, the trains will run at a maximum speed of 160mph in the initial stages to ensure compliance with the NEC track speed limits.

Alstom also plans to install its Tiltronix anticipative tilting technology on-board the Avelia Liberty trainsets to allow safe manoeuvring through bends and offer comfortable journeys at high speeds.

The new trainsets will be built at Alstom’s Hornell facility in New York, while maintenance will be carried out in the depots of Amtrak situated in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. under a specific technical support and spare supply agreement (TSSSA) between the two parties.

Alstom’s New York, Delaware and Illinois sites are expected to provide additional maintenance support for a period of 15 years under the TSSSA, and the deal also includes an option to extend the arrangement for an additional 15 years.