Amtrak Refreshes Interiors of Acela Express Trains

Updates will provide a more modern, comfortable customer experience. WASHINGTON, May 14, 2018/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amtrak is investing in an extensive refresh of its train interiors on the entire Acela Express fleet, which travels along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston and Washington, DC, aimed at introducing a more modern and comfortable customer experience. "Customers expect a premium experience when they board an Acela Express train, and these updated interior features will provide a more comfortable, refreshed look and feel – whether you want to relax, move about freely, work or play," said Amtrak CEO and President Richard Anderson.

The Acela Express refresh is a 14-month program for all of its 20 trainsets, which includes 100 Amtrak cars and 6,080 total seats. Each trainset will be refreshed individually with new cushions and covers for all business class and first-class seats, new carpet for the aisle runner and a deep clean. The total investment is valued at more than $4 million.

The refresh will take just over a year to complete and customers can expect a progression of upgrades during that time, with this approximate delivery schedule:

• May 2018: The first trainset will be refreshed and returned into revenue service;
• June 2018: The second trainset will be refreshed and returned into revenue service
• June 2018 - July 2019: One trainset will be refreshed every three weeks.

Amtrak schedules will not change due to the refresh. The refresh will occur in advance of the debut of the next generation Acela trainsets Amtrak announced in August 2016, which will provide 40 percent more trains, one-third more passenger seats with the same personal space and high-end comfort, more service, better amenities and a smoother ride. The first trainset prototype will be ready for testing in 2019, and will enter revenue service in early 2021. All trainsets in the current fleet will be retired in early 2022.

Materials from the existing Acela cushions and covers will be reused, recycled and turned into carpet padding, while the leather will be upcycled and converted into handbags, wallets and other consumer goods.

Links

http://www.amtrak.com

Poynter Brings CNN's Jake Tapper

Poynter Brings CNN's Jake Tapper to St. Petersburg for a Community Conversation

Poynter's community conversation series works to strengthen public trust in the media and spotlights the relationship between journalism and democracy.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 30, 2018/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, will host award-winning journalist and author Jake Tapper for a community conversation called "Political Thrillers, Fact and Fiction." Tapper is currently the chief Washington correspondent for CNN, anchor of the CNN weekday television news show "The Lead with Jake Tapper," and host of the Sunday morning program, "State of the Union."

The event on June 14 will take place at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tapper will talk about his career reporting on politics from Washington, as well as how his experience relates to the intrigue of McCarthy-era Washington on display in his new fiction novel, "The Hellfire Club."

Respected by people across the political spectrum, Tapper reports crisply and evenly out of an often chaotic Washington. Recently, he interviewed former FBI director James Comey in what was considered one of the most hard-hitting conversations during Comey's media tour. He led a highly-praised town hall on the gun-control debate with parents and survivors in Parkland. He moderated 2016 presidential primary debates and has covered multiple presidencies. On his shows, he consistently calls out falsehoods and does not accept "alternative facts." Tapper's reporting on the 2016 election has been recognized with a number of awards, including a 2017 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

The conversation will be moderated by Indira Lakshmanan, the Newmark Chair for Journalism Ethics at Poynter. Lakshmanan, an accomplished journalist herself, has covered coups, campaigns and revolutions in 80 countries and the U.S. From Washington, she covered politics and foreign policy, traveling with Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. At Poynter, Lakshmanan is spurring thought leadership on restoring trust in journalism across the political spectrum through transparency and accountability.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit The Poynter Institute and the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts.

"This event, part of a year-long speaker series, will give Tampa Bay residents the chance to meet journalists and hear them talk about the vital work they do for our democracy," said Wendy Wallace, the director of advancement at Poynter. "Elevating journalism and its role in healthy democracies is core to Poynter's mission."

The stop in St. Petersburg is part of Tapper's book tour promoting "The Hellfire Club," set in 1950s Washington. Poynter's Lakshmanan will talk with Tapper about ethics, trust in the media, and the comparisons we can make between his novel and now. 

A limited number of VIP tickets are available and include heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, a copy of "The Hellfire Club," and a meet-and-greet opportunity with Tapper. General admission tickets for the conversation only are also available. Tickets are on sale now at TheMahaffey.com.

Sponsors interested in supporting the event should contact Elisa Jackson, executive director of the Poynter Foundation at ejackson@poynter.org.