
Amtrak this week released drawings of the new equipment that is ticketed to replace Amfleet on state-funded routes in the East and Pacific Northwest.
To be known as Airo trains, the equipment is being built by Siemens Mobility and is expected to begin revenue service in 2026.
The 83 Airo trainsets will be semi-permanently coupled and operate push-pull style. Each equipment set will have six to eight cars, including a cab control car.
Airo equipment will be capable of operating with electric or diesel power and have a top speed of 125 miles per hour.
The first assignment of the equipment is expected to be in the Cascades corridor between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon, via Seattle.
Other trains and route expected to operate with Airo equipment include the Northeast Corridor, Adirondack, Carolinian, Downeaster, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, New Haven/Springfield Service (Amtrak Hartford Line and Valley Flyer), Pennsylvanian, Vermonter and Virginia Services.
The design of the Airo equipment is based on the Viaggio Confort cars of the Austrian Federal Railways. In Austria, the Viaggio cars are propelled by electric locomotive power.
There also are similarities between the Airo cars and the Venture cars built by Siemens for use in Amtrak corridor service in the Midwest and California.
During a news conference in New York, officials said the first first Airo car shell is under construction in Sacramento, California.
Construction of the Airo fleet is expected to continue through 2031. Cost of the equipment has been put at $7.3 billion.
Seventeen of the equipment sets slated to operate in the Empire Corridor in New York State will use hybrid battery technology.
Amtrak will have an option to buy 130 additional Airo trainset.