Amtrak accepts first Airo trainset

Amtrak said on May 14 that it had officially accepted its first Airo trainset and dispatched it from the Bear Maintenance Facility in Delaware on a cross-country move to Seattle. The company said the train will undergo final testing there before entering service on Amtrak Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. (media.amtrak.com) Railway Age reported the move on May 15, citing Amtrak’s newly released video of the departure. Amtrak has presented the acceptance as the first completed handoff of the new Siemens-built fleet that is due to replace older single-level equipment on several routes. (media.amtrak.com) Washington was where Amtrak had publicly unveiled the first Airo trainset on Feb. 10, with President Roger Harris appearing alongside Federal Railroad Administration Administrator David Fink, Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury and Siemens Mobility North America CEO Tobias Bauer. (media.amtrak.com) At that event, Amtrak said the first trainsets were slated to enter service on Cascades in 2026, while the first Northeast Regional sets would complete production and begin testing in 2026 with revenue service expected in 2027. ### Where is the first accepted trainset going now? Seattle is the next stop for the first accepted trainset, Amtrak said in its May 14 update. (media.amtrak.com) The company said the equipment left Bear this week and is heading west so it can enter final testing before customers board it. Delaware’s Bear Maintenance Facility was the departure point shown in Amtrak’s video, and Railway Age said Amtrak teams there helped prepare the equipment for the trip across the country. The same report said the move brings the next generation of Cascades service closer to launch. (media.amtrak.com) ### Why does Seattle matter for this rollout? Amtrak Cascades is the first route family scheduled to receive Airo service, according to Amtrak’s February fleet announcement. The corridor runs between Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon, and Amtrak said all eight Cascades trainsets are expected to finish manufacturing in 2026. (media.amtrak.com) The first accepted set carries the Cascades paint scheme that Amtrak showed in Washington in February. Trains.com reported earlier that the first set was built for eventual revenue service on Cascades after testing in Colorado and on eastern lines. (media.amtrak.com) ### How big is the Airo order? Amtrak said in August 2023 that it had exercised an option for 10 more Airo trainsets, bringing the total order to 83. The company said those trains would operate on routes throughout the country, and its current Airo media kit still lists 83 new trainsets as the planned fleet. (media.amtrak.com) Siemens was selected in 2021 to build the trains, and Amtrak said the equipment is being manufactured in California with support from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. Amtrak’s public materials say the trains are intended for the Northeast Regional, Empire Service, Virginia services, Keystone Service, Downeaster, Cascades and several other state-supported and corridor routes. (railwayage.com) ### What changes will riders see on board? Amtrak says the Airo fleet will bring modern seating, more spacious restrooms, updated food service and improved accessibility. The company also says the trains will operate at speeds up to 125 mph and, on some services, will eliminate locomotive changes that now add time in Washington and other stations. (media.amtrak.com) Roger Harris said in Amtrak’s Airo materials that the trains are intended to improve safety, comfort, reliability and efficiency. Amtrak also says diesel operations will produce 90% less particulate emissions than the equipment being replaced. ### When will passengers actually ride the new trains? (media.amtrak.com) Amtrak has said since 2023 that the first Airo trainset was scheduled to debut in 2026, and its February 2026 update kept that timetable for Cascades. The same update said the first Northeast Regional Airo sets would begin testing in 2026 and are expected to enter revenue service in 2027. (amtrak.com) Seattle will be the next public checkpoint. Amtrak said on May 14 that the accepted trainset is now headed there for final testing, and the company’s February rollout said all eight Cascades trainsets are expected to finish manufacturing in 2026. (media.amtrak.com 1) (media.amtrak.com 2) (amtrak.com)