Here’s a first look at Amtrak’s new Airo trains that will soon be put into service
Amtrak passengers in the Pacific Northwest have a lot to look forward to this summer.
The railroad’s new mainline Airo trains will enter service in mid-summer on the Cascade Route connecting Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.
For passengers, this means everything from new seats to aircraft-like amenities and even high-speed 5G Wi-Fi.
“It’s like owning a new car,” said Mike Jenkins, passenger rail equipment manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, which partially funded the Cascade train. “I think it’s going to be a huge boost for riders.”
Jenkins spoke aboard the first Cascades Airo trains at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. He was there for his first tour of the new trains, which will not only begin rolling out across the Pacific Northwest but, starting in 2027, replace the aging Amfleet I trains that have served the Northeast Corridor and adjacent routes for nearly 50 years.
A few months ago, Amtrak debuted its long-awaited “NextGen” Acela trains between Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.
Amtrak has ordered 83 Airo trains (including cars and engines), with the first eight going to Cascade. The remaining 75 trains will head to the East Coast, where they will become the mainstay of busy Northeast regional trains and numerous state-funded lines from Maine to Georgia.
“We are in a new era at Amtrak,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said at the event.
Airo coaching class
The new Cascades Airo trains have three dedicated economy class cars as well as some seats in the café car and taxi car. Seating is in Amtrak’s standard 2-2 car configuration, with several four-person tables in each car.
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Each seat has its own reading light, standard socket and USB-C plug.
Unfortunately, instead of sloping, the seat bottom slides forward, similar to the seats on NextGen Acela trains. This results in less legroom when “reclining”, which some taller travelers may find uncomfortable.
Coaches come with luggage racks and overhead racks for luggage storage.
Aero business class
Each Cascades Airo train is equipped with a business class car with Amtrak’s standard 1-2 seating arrangement. Likewise, the carriages have both individual seats and seats with tables.
Business Class seats come with the same amenities as Economy Class seats—personal reading lights, sockets, and USB-C plugs—as well as footrests. However, the seats are wider and offer more legroom.
But unfortunately, the base of the business class seat also slides forward instead of tilting back.
Airo trains to East Coast
When Amtrak’s new Air trains arrive on the East Coast, their interiors will look almost identical to the Cascades trains, said Celia Ann Pfleckl, who oversees the railroad’s Air program. The only difference, she said, is the color scheme — in other words, there’s no Pacific Northwest forest green on the East Coast.
“I think it’s an amazing product,” Pfleckel said.
These lines will eventually have Airo trains: Adirondack, Carolinian, Downeaster, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvania, Valley Flyer and Vermonter.
The first East Coast Airo cars are scheduled to begin testing later this year, with a debut in 2027.
Amtrak Airo drives growth
The introduction of the new Air trains comes amid unprecedented growth for Amtrak. By 2025, ridership will grow for the third consecutive year to a record 34.5 million passengers.
The growth is driven in part by the addition of new routes, including new Mardi Gras service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, launched last August, and Borealis service between Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, launching in May 2024. But much of the growth comes from more people riding Amtrak’s existing lines.
“The new trains that are coming out – the new Acelas, the new Airos – will feed into that growth story and allow us to increase ridership,” Harris told the Transit Unplugged podcast in early February.
Jason Biggs, director of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s rail, freight and ports division, said Tuesday that each Airo train on the Amtrak Cascades Line will be able to accommodate up to 300 passengers, up from the current 168 passengers. He added that he hoped the Airo trains would push Cascades’ annual ridership to the 1 million mark.
Amtrak data shows Cascades trains will carry 951,397 people in 2025, an increase of just over 1% from the previous year.
