Amtrak bringing faster locomotives for Northeast

By Katie Johnston, Globe Staff

Amtrak is taking aggressive steps to expand and modernize its service this year, including having the first of 70 new locomotives built to eventually power the entire regional fleet in the Northeast.

The electric locomotives, which can operate at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour between Washington and Boston -- up from 110 miles per hour on some trains -- will replace units that have been in operation for up to 30 years and traveled an average of 3.5 million miles. The first of the new locomotives are expected to be in service next year.

The $466 million investment should reduce travel times and improve reliability and frequency, Joe Boardman, chief executive of Amtrak, said in a conference call this morning.

Amtrak is also having the first of 130 new long-distance cars built this year. Other planned improvements include rolling out electronic ticketing to all trains, modernizing its reservations system, upgrading Northeast Corridor tracks and bridges, working to expand Acela Express service, and updating plans for a next-generation high-speed rail system.

Amtrak had a record high 30.2 million passengers in 2011, the eighth ridership record in the past nine years.