Seattle will be the launch point for Amtrak’s long-awaited next-generation trains.
This month, the first completed Amtrak Airo trains officially arrived in the city, where they will undergo testing and crew training ahead of their planned debut on the Amtrak Cascades line sometime in fall 2026. The Cascades corridor—which connects Eugene and Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Vancouver, Canada—will be the first route in the nation to offer passenger service on the new trains.
The arrival marks a major milestone in Amtrak’s years-long effort to modernize its aging fleet. The Amtrak Airo trains, plans for which were first unveiled in 2021, are designed to replace railcars that, on some routes, date back to the 1970s. The company has said the trains are intended to offer a smoother, quieter, and more environmentally friendly ride—while also helping reduce delays and speed up travel times.
The new Amtrak Airo trains will feature numerous upgrades over their predecessors, including more spacious seating with ample legroom, adjustable headrests, seatback tablet-holders, and panoramic windows offering better views of the passing scenery. Other enhancements will include a redesigned café car with self-service options, touchless restroom controls, and dedicated outlets and USB ports for passengers (as well as Wi-Fi, currently available on many Amtrak trains).
They will also be more accessible, with lifts for customers with reduced mobility, accessible restrooms and food service cars, and hearing-aid-compatible sound systems.
Beyond passenger comfort, the trains represent a major sustainability push for the railroad. The new trains are also expected to be significantly more fuel efficient than the equipment currently operating on the route. Amtrak says the Airo fleet will produce up to 90 percent fewer particulate emissions during diesel operations.
The new Amtrak Airo trains feature more spacious seating, adjustable headrests, and larger windows.
Courtesy of Amtrak
While the Cascades trains themselves will remain diesel-powered (the Pacific Northwest rail corridor is not electrified), other Airo trains across the national network will feature hybrid-electric technology that allows trains to transition between diesel and electric operation without changing locomotives.
The trains can reach speeds of up to 125 miles per hour, and Amtrak says the fleet could ultimately help add more than 1.5 million riders annually across its network.
All told, there will be 83 new trains, which will operate mostly along the Northeast Corridor. However, the Pacific Northwest has emerged as an early testing ground for the new equipment. Washington State and Oregon jointly ordered eight Airo trains for the Cascades route, replacing the current Horizon and Talgo VI trains.
Other routes the trains will ultimately serve include Empire Service, Virginia Service, Keystone Service, Downeaster, Maple Leaf, New Haven/Springfield Service, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, Ethan Allen Express, and Adirondack.
The Federal Railroad Administration provided Amtrak with nearly $4.3 billion in funding in 2022 for fleet upgrades and infrastructure improvements as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s broader investment in the country’s passenger rail network. The funding supports projects ranging from new Acela and Airo trains to service expansion, station upgrades, and rail corridor modernization efforts nationwide.
The Amtrak Airo trains are being manufactured by Siemens in California.
Michelle Baran and Caitlin Morton contributed reporting. This story was first published in December 2022, and was updated on May 22, 2026, to include current information.
