(Bloomberg) -- Amtrak is being forced to cancel a number of Acela trains because some of the older trains are unable to operate effectively in the extreme cold that’s hitting large parts of the US. 

“The cold weather we have been experiencing this week has been a problem,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris in an interview on Bloomberg Television on Thursday. “Especially with the older Acelas which we’re hoping to replace with new ones coming later this year.”

Much of the country has been experiencing frigid temperatures this week as a polar vortex unleashed a chill across the nation. On Friday, a fast-moving storm is expected to drop snow from New York to Washington, further disrupting commutes. 

Read More: Snow From NYC to Washington Threatens Friday’s Commute (1)

“We want to make sure that we run a very reliable service,” Harris said. “We have proactively canceled some services so that the ones that do remain are reliable.”

Along with the more than a dozen Acela trains that were canceled on Thursday due to the weather, Amtrak also suspended service on its Empire Builder line which operates between the Pacific Northwest and Chicago, according to its website. 

Amtrak is planning to replace its Acela trains, the higher-speed rail connecting Boston to Washington, DC, later this year with newer models, according to Harris. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan infrastructure law, provided the agency with enough money to replace its entire fleet over the next decade, including switching out those Acela trains, Harris said. 

The agency has a goal to double its ridership to 66 million per year by 2040, with much of that growth expected in the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak’s most popular leg. 

--With assistance from Romaine Bostick and David Westin.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.