AmeriStarRail Unveils ‘Libertyliner 250’ Proposal to Rebrand Amtrak’s NextGen Acela Fleet

By Stacy M. Brown Senior Global Correspondent

AmeriStarRail has unveiled a proposed new identity for Amtrak’s NextGen Acela fleet, introducing what it calls the “Libertyliner 250,” a privately financed initiative the company says would expand high-speed passenger rail service throughout the Northeast Corridor while replacing Amtrak’s aging Amfleet railcars.

The proposal, which requires a partnership with Amtrak, calls for rebranding the NextGen Acela trains as the Libertyliner 250 and using the fleet to provide coach, business, and first-class seating on every high-speed train operating between Boston, New York, and Washington.

ASR Libertyliner Phase II FLEET LIVERY.pdf

Download PDF • 274KB

“We have created a magnificent livery for the Libertyliner 250 to celebrate 250 years of American Freedom and the first train in America to operate faster than 250 kilometers per hour,” said Scott R. Spencer, chief operating officer of AmeriStarRail. “The patriotic colors, American flags, and gold pinstripes of the Libertyliner 250 will make a bold impression along the Northeast Corridor as the finest-looking high-speed train in the world."

AmeriStarRail released renderings of the proposed train design as part of its broader vision for modernizing passenger rail along the nation’s busiest rail corridor.

According to the company, the proposal would retire Amtrak’s roughly 50-year-old Amfleet passenger cars now used on Northeast Regional trains and replace them with standardized high-speed equipment. AmeriStarRail said every Libertyliner 250 train would offer coach, business, and first-class seating, including a designated family coach section.

The company also proposed hourly nonstop service between New York and Washington with a scheduled travel time of 1 hour and 59 minutes.

“The United States is the only country in the world that does not allow coach passengers to ride high-speed trains. As we celebrate 250 years of American freedom, the Libertyliner 250 will give Coach passengers the freedom to ride high-speed trains for the first time in America,” Spencer said.

AmeriStarRail said its proposal would rely on private investment rather than taxpayer funding. Under the plan, the company would finance, own, and maintain a new high-speed fleet while Amtrak employees would continue operating and maintaining the trains. The company said Amtrak would receive new revenue through track access fees, station service fees, and performance incentives, while the federal government would retain ownership of the Northeast Corridor infrastructure.

AmeriStarRail said the proposal would increase Northeast Corridor train service by 35 percent and expand passenger seating capacity by 21 percent. The company said the additional capacity would make high-speed rail more accessible to families, students, senior citizens, and passengers with disabilities by offering coach seating aboard trains capable of operating at higher speeds.

The company also said the initiative would position the United States to exceed 200 mph in passenger rail service, placing it alongside countries including Japan, France, China, Germany, Italy, and Spain that operate trains at those speeds. AmeriStarRail said it plans to announce a separate initiative later this year aimed at establishing a new American rail speed record of 177.6 mph, the fastest since 1967.

The announcement also aligns the proposal with President Donald Trump’s stated goal of ushering in what he has called a “Golden Age of Travel,” including efforts to transform New York’s Penn Station and Washington Union Station.

Bridgeport, Connecticut, City Council President Pro Tempore Ernest Newton II voiced support for the concept, saying he believes the proposal could improve rail service for Connecticut residents while preserving union jobs.

“When Scott shared his ideas on Amtrak, I thought it was a great idea. I will talk to our reps here and talk to U.S. Congress to try and encourage Amtrak to be a partner in this great idea,” Newton said. “Usually, I go to a convention in D.C., and it takes me five hours. With this AmeriStarRail, we could be there an hour faster. This would be a win-win for everyone in the state of Connecticut.”

Newton also said he was persuaded by the company’s commitment to maintaining organized labor’s role in rail operations.

"Unions—they said this would not affect unions. We would work with unions to make our railways better. There’s really no downside other than Amtrak wanting to keep a monopoly,” Newton said.

Amtrak has not announced any agreement with AmeriStarRail or endorsed the proposal.