Jordan Pascale
Amtrak is starting a new nonstop service from D.C. to New York on its faster Acela trains starting Sept. 23.
The Acela Nonstop trip should take about 2 hours and 35 minutes.
The Acela has long attracted business travelers willing to pay a little more money and get to their destination a little faster. Amtrak says this new line could compete with air travel.
“The new Acela Nonstop service will have you halfway to your New York City or DC destination in the time it would take you to board a flight,” Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement. “This new service will offer an ideal solution for travelers who want to save time and travel between city center D.C. and New York.”
The schedule seems built more for New York business travelers than D.C. residents, though Amtrak says it’s weighing more time slots in the future. The weekday-only train leaves New York’s Penn Station at 6:35 a.m. and arrives at Washington’s Union Station around 9:10 a.m. It departs Union Station at 4:30 p.m. and arrives in New York around 7:05 p.m.
Riders skip regular Acela stops at Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington, Delaware; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Trenton, Metropark; and Newark, New Jersey.
The Nonstop costs the same as regular Acela Express trips. They range from $130 (when you buy 21 days in advance) to $276 one-way depending on how early you buy and the chosen amenity level.
The Acela Express trains are among the only higher-speed train offerings in America and can travel at up 150 mph, though they average about 84 mph.
The Comparison
Here’s how the different Amtrak options stack up:
| Train | Time | Lowest cost (21-day advanced booking) | Cost per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acela Nonstop | 2 hours 35 minutes | $130 | 84 cents |
| Acela Express | 2 hours 55 minutes | $130 | 74 cents |
| Northeast Regional | 3 hours 30 minutes | $53 | 25 cents |
Flights from National Airport to LaGuardia run about $159 one way and take an hour and 10 minutes gate to gate. But that doesn’t factor in the time to get through security and the time it would take to get to downtown. Amtrak’s stations are more centrally located in Midtown Manhattan and Capitol Hill.
And if you want a really detailed breakdown on bus vs. train vs. air travel from New York to D.C. check out this real-world test from ThePointsGuy.com.
This story originally appeared on WAMU and has been updated to reflect the accurate cost per minute of the nonstop Acela.
