Amtrak launching nonstop Acela service between NYC and Washington

Amtrak will begin offering nonstop Acela service between Washington and New York later this year that will cut the ride time down to about two-and-a-half hours.

The service will begin Sept. 23 and run once daily. The southbound train will depart New York’s Penn Station at 6:35 a.m. and will arrive in Washington’s Union Station at around 9:10 a.m. The northbound train will depart Washington at 4:30 p.m. and arrive in New York around 7:05 p.m.

The Acela trains with stops are generally scheduled to make the trip in about three hours.

The trains will have a quiet car, café car and first-class service. Amtrak said other amenities will be announced closer to the launch date.

Bookings are open. Fares are the same for all Acela service; they start at $130 one-way.

Amtrak said the nonstop option is expected to be expanded between Washington and New York and between New York and Boston once a new generation of Acela trainsets roll intro production in 2021. Testing on those trains will begin later this year.

Amtrak said it was “weighing potential expansion” of the nonstop service in terms of location and frequency. Penn Station and Union Station are Amtrak’s two busiest stations.