The Uncomfortable Issue With Amtrak's High-Speed Train, According To Some Of The First Riders

When Amtrak announced the release of a new high-speed train, the NextGen Acela, many travelers were excited. After all, a majority of Americans agree that long-distance train travel is the best kind of transportation to take. But now that America's fastest new passenger trains have hit the tracks, riders are raising an unexpected issue: Some say that the seats are uncomfortable, even in first class.

There's a lot to praise about the NextGen Acela. It can reach high speeds of up to 160 mph and contains 82 more seats per train than the original Acela, meaning each train can carry more passengers. Plus, there are amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, personal power outlets, reading lights, and a winged headrest for added privacy. When the NextGen Acela began service on August 27, 2025, Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement, "Acela is synonymous with American high-speed trains, and today marks a new era of next-generation service," adding, "The future of high-speed rail starts now."

However, while Amtrak marketing materials tout ergonomic seats and a more comfortable journey overall, some early riders on the NextGen Acela disagree. One Reddit train enthusiast even wrote, "The seats are horrible... It's as if they were never actually tested by real people."

If you read early reviews from both journalists and social media users, you'll see that opinions are divided on the NextGen Acela's seats. Some find them awkward and uncomfortable, while others enjoy the firmer seat and extra legroom. The Reddit reviewer quoted above expanded on his issues in his post, stating that his head frequently hit the reading light, the seats got stuck in the recline position, and the footrest didn't fold up properly, which meant it caught on his belongings.

"If first class was that bad I am scared to sit in business class," he wrote. Some fellow riders validated his complaints in the comments, agreeing that the seats often get stuck and feel "hard as a rock." However, others disagreed, saying they found the reclining mechanism easy to adjust and preferred the firmer seat.

A different Reddit train enthusiast also recounted issues with the reclining mechanism, as well as a lack of lumbar support when the seats are in a reclined position. However, they wrote that despite these issues, they found the seats comfortable when not reclined and preferred them to the older seating. A commenter pointed out that the seats are lower to the ground, making them uncomfortable for people on the taller side.

Outside of Reddit, reviews were also mixed. Washington Post travel reporter Natalie Compton filmed a review of her experience for TikTok and also remarked on the seats. "The seats felt much more firm and narrow than even the seats on a Northeast Regional coach," she said, but praised the "great legroom and enough space to work comfortably on a laptop without T. rex arms."

Daily Drop content director Benji Stawski explained more about the frequently cited reclining mechanism: Instead of the seats moving backward, the bottom cushion moves forward. "It's fine for a short ride, but not ideal if you're hoping to nap," he writes. (If you're taking a long-haul train ride, don't miss this one simple tip that can dramatically transform your experience.)

Substacker Hayden Clarkin, who runs the popular newsletter The Transit Guy, also pointed out the uncomfortable seats in his review. "The seats are... not the best. They're stiff, and the recline is clunky," he wrote, but added that they may become comfortable after the trains have been in use for a while: "My charitable opinion is that maybe they're not broken in yet?" Only time will tell.