The fastest trains ever to hit the rails in the United States are finally leaving the station — more than four years behind schedule.

The next generation of Amtrak’s high-speed Acela fleet enters commercial service Thursday between Washington, New York and Boston — promising peak speeds of 160 mph and a smoother trip.

“We’re going to be able to carry more people on these trains, which hopefully means better pricing. It’s going to mean better revenue, but most importantly, a better experience for the traveling public,” U.S. Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy said Wednesday at an event at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station celebrating the launch of the new trains.

Duffy then joined other federal and Amtrak officials aboard one of the new trains for an inaugural ride north along Amtrak’s heavily

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