Amtrak has revealed official renderings of future Intercity trainsets built by
Siemens Mobility, coming up now. Originally ordered last year, these so-called
“Airo'' trains consist of a Siemens Charger locomotive, Siemens Venture cars, and a Cab
Car to allow for easy turnarounds. In total, 83 trains have been ordered, with options
for over a hundred more should Amtrak want to expand service. This massive order is split
into 3 smaller orders, those being the Pacific Northwest trains, the Northeast Corridor trains,
and the Upstate New York trains. Beginning with the Pacific Northwest trains, starting in
2024, Amtrak will take delivery of 8 Airo trains for use on the Cascades corridor between
Eugene, OR and Vancouver, BC. These 8 trains will use existing Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotives,
although 2 additional Chargers will be delivered in conjunction with this order. Airo trainsets
will replace aging Talgo trains on the Cascades, modernizing this rapidly-expanding corridor
route. Next up are the Northeast Corridor trains, which will be capable of operating off both
diesel and overhead electric power. Initially being delivered in 2025, these trains will feature
one auxiliary power vehicle car per train with a pantograph capturing electricity to power a
dual-mode ALC-42E locomotive. This will not only allow trains to seamlessly transition between
electrified and non-electrified territories quickly, but it’ll also decrease the trains
emissions to just 10% what they are right now. A total of 58 trains will be built for the
Northeast Corridor, ultimately being used on the Northeast Regional, Keystone, Downeaster, New
Haven to Springfield line, Palmetto, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, and Vermonter. Finally, in 2029,
17 trains will be built for the state of New York, being capable of switching between diesel and
battery-electric power. Similarly to the Northeast Corridor’s auxiliary power vehicles, one car per
train will feature a battery cabinet, which’ll allow an ALC-42E locomotive to operate either
entirely off stored electricity, or partially off stored electricity. These 17 trains will
be used on the Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, Empire Service, and Maple Leaf. As mentioned
earlier, all trains in this order will be powered by a Siemens Charger locomotive, which Amtrak
currently uses on countless different routes. These locomotives adhere to the EPA’s strict Tier
4 diesel emissions standards, have a top speed of 125MPH, and feature state-of-the-art technology.
The proven Charger platform, in addition to the new dual-power technology will once again cut
down on carbon emissions by more than 90%. On the other side of these trains, the cab car
will decrease train turnaround times, allowing for additional trains to be added to the schedule.
Amtrak predicts that this change will allow for an additional 1.5 million annual passengers to
ride their trains. Speaking of passengers, let’s talk about how much their experience
will be improved. These new trains will replace some equipment as old as 50 years old,
not only giving the trains a more modern feel, but also decreasing equipment-related delays.
Airo trains will feature larger windows, better seats, modern interiors, digital
signage, and added accessibility. So without further ado, let’s take a gander at
these renderings. Here’s what basic Amtrak Airo cab cars will look like. As you can see, they
have the carbody of a Siemens Venture car with the nose and cab of a Siemens ALC-42 Charger.
Adorned in the sharp Phase VII paint scheme, these trains will give Amtrak a fresh new look. If
you look closely, towards the back of the train, you can see the pantograph on the auxiliary power
vehicle and the ALC-42E locomotive, which looks pretty much identical to a diesel-only ALC-42
engine. Other than that, this trainset looks pretty similar to the original, less-detailed
concept art from a year ago. From the side, this train has a very European look with a streamlined
cab car that resembles a locomotive. Another striking difference is the paint scheme, which I’m
a big fan of. I like how although the cars don’t have a symmetrical paint scheme, the dark blues
create a sense of continuity between the cars, regardless of which way they’re oriented. Now
for the interiors. This is coach class with a 2+2 seating configuration. Notice the large windows,
nice seats, soft lighting, and digital displays. The only thing I don’t like about this interior is
that ugly carpet. It honestly throws off the look of this otherwise clean and modern interior.
Anyways, onto business class. Other than the larger seats and 2+1 configuration, business class
isn’t that much different from coach. Simply put, I’m a big fan of these new interiors, aside from
those carpets. Next up are the Cascades trains, which surprisingly use the ALC-42 style cab.
While this would make perfect sense in the context of this equipment order, it does annoy
me a little bit that the cab cars won’t match the existing Cascades locomotives, which have a
slightly different nose. When I originally made a video predicting what these trains would look
like, I thought the Cascades would get cab cars to match their locomotives. Anyways, aside
from a different paint scheme and interior color palette, the Cascades Airos aren’t
too different from the mainline Amtrak ones. Overall, these new trains are very promising.
Not only will existing passengers be impressed by the new interiors, but they’ll bring
Amtrak’s brand image into the modern era, attracting additional passengers, so when can we
expect to see these new trains? Well right now, the first car shells are being constructed at the
Siemens Mobility factory in California, so not for a few years. The first trains will be delivered
in 2024, entering service on the Cascades in 2026. Over the next 5 years, a massive fleet
of more than 80 trains will be delivered across Amtrak’s system, with over 40% of their entire
fleet being replaced with Airo trains by 2031. Until then though, we can only look forward
to what’s ahead. With brand new long-distance locomotives being phased into service, new
high-speed trains set to debut in less than a year, commitments to achieve net-zero emissions
by 2045, and now state-of-the-art “Airo” trains on the way, if one thing is clear, it’s that Amtrak
is in for a lot of change over the next decade.
