Amtrak announces new non-stop Acela train between Washington, DC, and NYC

Amtrak announced it will offer non-stop service between Washington, D.C., and New York City starting Sept. 23.

The company announced the launch of their new Acela Nonstop Thursday, and tickets are already available for purchase.

"The new Acela Nonstop service will have you half way to your New York City or DC destination in the time it would take you to board a flight," Amtrak president and CEO Richard Anderson said in a press release. "This new service will offer an ideal solution for travelers who want to save time and travel between city center DC and New York."

The Acela Nonstop will depart Washington Union Station and arrive at New York Penn Station with a total travel time of two hours and 35 minutes. The flight time between Washington, D.C., and New York City is around one hour and 10 minutes -- not taking into account security, boarding and getting to the airport.

In 2018, Washington's Union Station and New York's Penn Station were Amtrak's busiest stations in the country. The Acela Nonstop will have the same options as other Amtrak trains including the quiet car, cafe car and first class option.

Amtrak's initial schedule for the Acela Nonstop is weekday only. Currently, they are planning one southbound non-stop train and one northbound non-stop train per day. The southbound train will depart New York at 6:35 a.m. and arrive in Washington, D.C., at 9:10 a.m. The northbound train will depart Washington, D.C., at 4:30 p.m. and arrive in New York at 7:05 p.m.

Amtrak says they will "weigh potential expansion in terms of location and frequency" in the future.