Report: Amtrak to begin on-track testing of new high-speed trains

The Federal Railroad Administration has cleared Amtrak's new high-speed trains to begin testing on tracks that run from Washington, D.C., to Boston, the New York Times reported late last week.

The faster Avelia Liberty trains, which eventually will replace the Acela trains operating on the Northeast Corridor, had failed a series of computer modeling tests and finally passed the FRA's approval to begin testing on the tracks, the newspaper reported.

The testing on the tracks will be "the next step in the safety certification process that leads toward launching revenue service," Amtrak officials said in a statement, according to the NYTimes report.

French manufacturer Alstom is building the trains at its plant in Hornell, New York. Company spokesman Cliff Cole told the newspaper that the move to on-track testing is progress for train riders "who will soon discover a brand-new travel experience on the busiest rail corridor in America."

The project to build and introduce the trains is three years behind schedule.