First Impressions of the New NextGen Acela First Class

Amtrak launched its new NextGen Acela trains in August 2025, and I finally had the chance to try these new trains on a one-way trip from New York’s Penn Station to Washington’s Union Station.

The new trains feature a redesigned layout compared to the older Acela trains, so if you have the option to choose, which one should you book? Here’s a closer look at the onboard upgrades you can expect.

Seat Layout

One of the first things you’ll notice about the NextGen Acela first class car is its entirely new seating configuration.

On one side, you have all single seats, and on the other side, you have all pairs of seats, except a single table where 4 seats are facing each other.

Acela single seats have been highly sought after for quite some time. After all, having a seat all to yourself is one of the main reasons to upgrade to first class.

For the single-seat side, 6 seats face forward in the direction of travel, and 6 seats face in the opposite direction (these become forward-facing seats when the train changes direction). In the center of this single section are 2 seats that face each other with a fixed table in between. There is also accessible seating after the row of single seats.

For the side with pairs of seats, there are 7 pairs facing forward and 7 facing to the rear, with the foursome table between. As with the single side, there is an accessible seating area, and you must be have a provable reason to sit here when you purchase your ticket.

The older Acela layout has only 7 solo seats, with the rest of the seats on board either facing another seat or configured in a pair. If you are traveling alone and prefer more privacy, the additional solo seats on the new NextGen trains would be great for you.

Although it was taken during my train ride, Seat 13A is a single seat with a fixed table in front and has become a cult favorite among regular Acela riders. On the opposite side of this seat is an accessible seat, so this spot remains empty unless a passenger using a wheelchair is on board. If you’re willing to take the risk of this spot going out empty, 13A is a fabulous seat if you plan on working onboard.

Improved Tray Tables

One of my absolute biggest gripes on the older Acela trains is that the tray tables in first class are wonky at best.

They require you to pull the tray table up and out, and then you can slide it closer to you. Because of this motion, they are very easy to break, and with even the slightest push down while the tray table is out, you can tell that it would bend. With multiple travelers using these tray tables daily, they are easily broken.

In first class, there is a drink and meal service, and I cannot tell you the number of times that I’ve spilled my drink on the old tray tables. As the train rides along, even a slight nudge causes the tray table to bounce and my drink to spill over.

The new NextGen tray tables in first class are designed like those on an airplane. They pull down from the seat in front, and then you can slide them into place. Because they only pull down, they’re essentially fixed in place, so they’re much sturdier. On my ride, I had a meal on my tray table and also used my laptop, and neither experienced any of the issues I would have had on the older trains.

One downside of the newer tables is that they seem smaller. It was harder to balance a phone or tablet and the meal on the same tray (not that this was exactly easy on the older trays). However, I far prefer a sturdier table to one that’s larger and unstable.

Meal Service Is the Same

When it comes to meal service in first class, you won’t find many differences.

When it comes to Amtrak dining, there’s nothing terribly exciting. While Amtrak has partnered with celebrity chefs and restaurants over the years, my experience with most of the food is that it is significantly inferior to what you’d find in a premium cabin on an airplane.

For breakfast, there is usually a choice of 3 dishes. You can experience things such as:

• Fresh seasonal fruit plate
• Wild mushroom omelet
• Breakfast frittata

For lunch and dinner, there’s usually a choice of 3 dishes, such as:

• Black pepper beef
• Cheese and fruit plate
• Butter chicken
• Burrata salad

All meals are served with bread, and lunch and dinner include an accompaniment of nuts to start the meal and dessert to finish it. All meals have a choice of drinks from the bar.

One interesting fact is that the first class galley is actually located in the adjacent business class car, so an attendant stays there to set up and warm the meals, while the other attendant remains in the first-class car for the actual service. It’s a unique concept, but it allows more room throughout the car and lets Amtrak see more first class seats.

Overhead Bins Are Now a Rack

I’m not entirely sure how much of a difference this makes, but on the older Acela trains, the storage above the seats is an overhead bin, similar to what you’d find on a plane. On the new Acela trains, this bin has been replaced by an overhead rack.

To me, it seems like this rack is smaller than the bins, so you won’t be able to fit as large of a suitcase, as there’s the potential it hangs off of the edge. I also don’t necessarily like items exposed like this, as there’s a risk they could fall if the train jolts, but I suppose it’s easier to access.

If you have larger bags to store, there is a rack at the end of the car that can easily accommodate oversize items. This storage area is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you have a larger bag that needs to be stowed, please do so as soon as you board to avoid disappointment if other passengers arrive at this rack first.

Prices Won’t Change

Amtrak says pricing won’t be different just because your ride is on a newer train. That’s because Amtrak’s pricing adjusts based on supply and demand, but a NextGen train won’t make your ride cheaper or more expensive.

Amtrak only has a limited number of these newer trains running, and some departures are either very early or very late. When I checked several random dates, the older trains actually had a higher price, likely because they had more favorable departure times.

I usually purchase my tickets on the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® Preferred Mastercard^® so I can earn 3 Amtrak Guest Rewards points per $1 spent on Amtrak travel.

One way I save on Acela is by purchasing a business class fare and then upgrading to first class using one of the upgrade vouchers that come with my Amtrak Guest Rewards Select status. These upgrade coupons enable you to upgrade to the next class of service at no additional charge, provided seats are still available.

Price being equal, I’d choose one of the newer trains for the upgrades and comfort. If an older train were cheaper, I would choose that over the new one.

Seat Comfort

One of the other things I noticed on this new train is that the first class seats now have wings on either side of the headrest, cradling your head. If you want to take a nap, you can now lean your head to either side, and it acts like a pillow, keeping your head from sliding off the seatback.

As for recline, the seats recline from the bottom only, sliding forward but keeping the back fixed in place. This allows Amtrak to insert more seats (since the back doesn’t take up the space of the seat behind) but still provides an effective recline.

The new seats are 21 inches wide (between armrests), with about 42 inches of pitch (from the back of one seat to the back of another). The older style seats have only 20 inches between armrests, though that additional inch seems much more apparent on the new trains.

The seat certainly doesn’t lie flat, but it’s comfortable enough to take an afternoon snooze. I found the recline on the older trains to be much less noticeable, with some seats having hardly any recline, especially when facing another seat. Amtrak did a decent job of allowing for more noticeable recline without compromising space, though it would be nice to have the back part of the seat recline as well.

As for legroom, there was a noticeable difference from the older trains. I was even able to stretch out much more and cross my legs.

If you need to charge, there’s an individual power port at each seat. Unfortunately, seats are also equipped with the (now) outdated USB-A port. On the headrest, there is a small reading lamp you can turn on for extra brightness.

If you need to stay productive while on the train, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi is available. I noticed a significantly faster speed on this train compared to other trains I’ve been on, so kudos to Amtrak for finally getting this to work.

Hot Tip:

Be sure to check out our overview of all Amtrak routes so you can see the different types of trains that Amtrak operates.

Upgraded Restrooms

There is one restroom located at the end of the car, and I had the opportunity to use it once during my trip. It’s a futuristic restroom, featuring a sensor that requires you to wave your hand in front of it to open and close the door.

That said, it does take a while for the door to close, and it’s difficult to tell when the door is locked, as there’s no lock to engage. Instead, the door locks automatically, but I found myself second-guessing whether the door was truly closed or not.

I definitely appreciated that I didn’t have to actually touch anything to open or close the door, but I wished they would have made the process clearer and more reassuring that the door was locked.

Much Smoother Ride

One of the biggest differences on the new Acela trains is the ride itself. From New York City to Washington, D.C., it was always a somewhat bumpy ride.

Any regular Amtrak rider would tell you that the journey would be full of bumps along the way. It was something you basically got used to, though you certainly had to watch your beverage to make sure it didn’t spill.

The newer trains offer a significantly smoother ride, which was noticeable at numerous points during the 3-hour journey. I was absolutely amazed at how smooth it was, especially compared to the Northeast Regional trains and older Acela trains.

Not only was I not concerned about my drink spilling, but I really seemed much more productive at work, since I wasn’t being tossed around like a rag doll. I was thoroughly impressed by how Amtrak managed to make this a much more enjoyable ride.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed riding on the newer NextGen Acela train and found the first class experience to be better than that on the older model trains. If price and schedule were equal, I’d hands down choose the newer train, though I wouldn’t spend more than necessary to ride the newer train if the older version were cheaper or there were a better schedule.

Amtrak made the right amount of upgrades, especially with the tray table sturdiness and the additional solo seats, but nothing too transformational to make this new first class experience worthy of an upgrade.