A different kind of delay at Amtrak.

A troubling new report by Amtrak’s inspector general says the taxpayer-supported railroad’s $2.3 billion program to replace its aging high-speed Acela trains in the Northeast is now at least three years behind schedule — and additional delays are “likely.”

Reports say the delays are costing Amtrak millions of dollars in additional expenses and lost revenue.

“We all know that Amtrak trains are often late, but three years is absolutely absurd,” said Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The report says a major reason for the delays is that the design of the new trains has still not satisfied regulatory requirements from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

To get that approval, train manufacturer Alstom must show the new high-speed trains are safe to proceed with additional testing, using a computer model to demonstrate how they would perform on the tracks.

Alstom has made at least 14 attempts at such a model, the report says, but the FRA has yet to sign off.

Alstom, in part, blames the “challenging” track conditions of the old and winding Northeast Corridor.

Although the design is so far not certified, manufacturing of the trains is well underway, with 12 of the 28 planned train sets already built. They are being assembled at the Alstom facility in Hornell, N.Y.

The report says Amtrak officials “did not object to [Alstom] proceeding into production because, among other things, they were overly optimistic about [Alstom’s] progress and believed [their] assurances that validation was close.”

The report waves a red flag, saying, “Beginning serial production before ensuring that designs are solidified and before proving that the train set will operate safely in its intended environment is contrary to leading practices.”

Another complication: each of the 12 train sets already produced has defects, according to the IG.

The defects include both aesthetic problems, like misaligned ceiling panels, and safety issues. The report details windows that have shattered “spontaneously,” a water drainage issue that could cause the parts holding the cars together to corrode, and leaks in the hydraulic tiling system.

Moulton says Amtrak needs to be more forthcoming. He is calling for more serious oversight.

“Amtrak is responsible for delivering these train sets to people like me who count on them to get to places along the Northeast Corridor,” Moulton said. “If Amtrak cannot prove itself capable of supervising major contracts like that, then we’ve got to ask some questions about how Amtrak functions as a company.”

Sean Jeans-Gail, vice president of the Rail Passengers Association, likewise raised concerns about Amtrak’s level of transparency, saying “we can’t keep finding out about these [problems] through OIG reports.”

“Given the percentage increase in public funding to Amtrak through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we need just greater transparency in how these procurement efforts are going and how projects are being managed,” Jeans-Gail continued.

The delay in replacing the existing Acela trains, which are more than 20 years old, is also affecting current passenger service.

The inspector general’s report says the reliability of Amtrak’s “current aging Acela fleet is declining, causing more on time performance delays and forcing the company to modify its Acela timetable.”

One problem is that the trains are so old, there is “a lack of parts to keep them operable.

”The report says Amtrak has essentially retired four entire Acela trains – 20% of its fleet – so their parts can be used to keep the other trains running.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Alstom said they are “surprised” by the “so-called ‘defects’” with the trains highlighted by the IG report, saying, “Every train that has been released from the manufacturing site were authorized for shipping by Amtrak after thorough inspections, with identified modifications to be completed prior to acceptance. These modifications will be completed before final acceptance of the train sets, as it is foreseen in the contract and customary in our industry.”

They also noted they “have already successfully run these trains on the FRA’s Pueblo, CO test track at high-speed and on the Northeast Corridor for a total of nearly 70,000 miles.”

In a separate statement, Laura Mason, Amtrak’s executive vice president of capital delivery, said, “We want our customers to experience these new trains as soon as possible, but as noted in the report, Amtrak cannot operate them for passenger service until Alstom has completed testing and meets all safety requirements.”

As of now, Amtrak projects the new trains will start to roll out next year.

Previous inspector general reports have identified shortcomings with how Amtrak manages major capital projects, like the new Acelas. The report did say that Amtrak has taken steps to rectify those issues.