Amtrak's New Airo Trains Enter Service in the Pacific Northwest

The first of 83 Siemens-built trainsets carried passengers today, the start of the biggest fleet replacement in Amtrak's history.

Amtrak's long-awaited Airo trains carried their first paying passengers today on the Amtrak Cascades route, which runs between Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Oregon.

Two new trainsets entered service on 30 September, covering four daily trips on the corridor. Six more are due by early 2027.

A national programme

The Pacific Northwest is only the start. Siemens Mobility is building 83 Airo trainsets for Amtrak, made up of 86 Charger locomotives and 576 passenger coaches. It is Siemens' largest contract in North America.

David Fink, head of the Federal Railroad Administration, called it "the biggest fleet replacement program in Amtrak's 50-year history." The trains will move to the Northeast Regional and to routes supported by individual states through 2030.

"This is more than the debut of a new train," said Tobias Bauer, chief executive of Siemens Mobility North America. "It's the moment a once-in-a-generation investment in American passenger rail becomes real for travelers."

Built in America

The trainsets are built at Siemens facilities in Sacramento, California, and Lexington, North Carolina. Their parts come from almost 100 suppliers in 31 states.

Passengers get more comfortable seats, a power outlet and USB-C charger at every seat, larger tray tables, accessible bathrooms and upgraded café cars. The trains also use new propulsion and braking technology that cuts fuel consumption, and wireless diagnostics that let crews spot maintenance problems before they cause delays.

High expectations

State officials in Washington and Oregon, who co-fund the Cascades service, are banking on the upgrade to win new riders.

"My hope is that this new train will usher in a new era of rail travel," said Chris Warner, director of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Julie Meredith, Washington's Secretary of Transportation, called the trains "a game-changer for rail travel in the Pacific Northwest."

The next test is whether the new fleet can deliver the reliability that passengers and funders expect.