Amtrak is gearing up to launch its new NextGen Acela fleet, which promises to revolutionize train travel on the Northeast Corridor. Starting Thursday, August 28, the first of 28 new trains will begin service,

NextGen is faster than the original Acela but will not set any world speed records. Its top velocity of 160 mph falls short of global benchmarks set by China’s Fuxing, which hits 217 mph, and Japan’s newest Shinkansens, which reach 200 mph.

After several years of delays, Amtrak is expected to debut its new, redesigned Acela high-speed trains in Philadelphia later this month, writes Mike D’Onofrio