Many Amtrak routes in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States feature equipment that, while serving its intended purpose, are rapidly reaching the end of line in terms of availability. Discussions around replacing this equipment, commonly known as Amfleet I, have been in the works for quite some time, but now, Amtrak has officially announced the replacements.
Introducing Amtrak AiroTM, debuting in 2026 and operating on routes throughout the country. The new trains will operate on the majority of short-to-medium distance trains throughout the Northeast, with most serving New York’s Penn Station. Routes include Northeast Regional, Adirondack (to Montréal), Carolinian (to Charlotte), Palmetto (to Savannah), and many others. Outside of the East, the new trains will operate on the Amtrak Cascades route in the Pacific Northwest, serving Seattle and Portland.
“As we invest in the future, Amtrak is leading the way with a new era of rail,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris, “Our new trains will transform the Amtrak experience with significant environmental benefits, a progressive design and world-class amenities.”
The new trains will elevate the journey with a focus on comfort and efficiency. Amtrak Airo will provide even more advantages to traveling by rail, including:
Amenities: Features enhanced lighting, improved technology with digital customer information systems and touchless restroom controls, dedicated individual outlets, USB ports, and onboard Wi-Fi.
Elevated Experience: With its modern, spacious interior and panoramic windows, customers have an improved view of the best sights in the country while connecting to the passing landscape.
A Greener Impact: The new trains are more fuel efficient and produce 90% less particulate emissions in diesel operations.
Reduced Travel Times: The new trains will operate at speeds up to 125 mph and offer a near-seamless transition between power sources where time-consuming locomotive changes were previously required.
Redesigned Café Car: A more contemporary food service offers self-service options.
Wayfinding: Signage creates a cleaner, more evident, and accessible way to identify and differentiate cabins – both on the exterior and interior through a color-coded system.
Spacious Seating: Each spacious seat prioritizes ergonomics, offering enhanced comfort with ample legroom, larger and sturdier tray tables, movable headrests, and dedicated cup and seatback tablet holders.
Business Class: Choice of double and single seats offers customers greater flexibility.
A share of Amtrak’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding will support the procurement of Amtrak Airo, which will be manufactured by Siemens in California. The first of these new trains is expected to enter service sometime in 2026.
“Our new trainsets are a key part of helping Amtrak transform rail travel for Americans. Passengers want a reliable, comfortable, and sustainable experience once on-board. Our 2,500 team members in Sacramento and hundreds of suppliers in the U.S. are proud to help Amtrak deliver the next generation of travel,” said Michael Cahill, Siemens Mobility Rolling Stock in North America President.
For complete details, visit amtraknewera.com.
