Amtrak’s long-awaited Airo fleet is officially entering passenger service next Wednesday, September 30, 2026, marking the first major rollout of the railroad’s next-generation trains.
The Pacific Northwest will get the honor of debuting two new Airo trainsets on four daily trips along the Amtrak Cascades route, which connects Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Portland, and Eugene, Oregon.
More trainsets will join the corridor through early 2027, eventually replacing the existing Cascades fleet.
Amtrak has ordered 83 Airo transets, with the goal of replacing its aging 40-to-50-year-old trainsets throughout the country. The East Coast’s Northeast Regional is expected to be the next route to receive them in late 2027.
A new era for Amtrak Cascades
The Airo trains are built by Siemens Mobility in Sacramento, California, and Lexington, North Carolina, with components supplied by nearly 100 companies across 31 states.
The trainsets feature more than 300 ergonomically designed seats with adjustable headrests, panoramic windows, individual power outlets and USB ports, updated lighting and digital passenger-information screens, and modern interiors.
Accessibility has been built into the new design with larger touchless-control restrooms, improved signage, and wider onboard spaces.
Here is the full list of Amtrak routes where Airo transets will eventually be deployed in the coming years, replacing the system’s 40-to-50-year-old trains:
- Amtrak Cascades
- Northeast Regional
- Empire Service
- Keystone Serice
- Amtrak Downeaster
- Maple Leaf
- Adirondack
- Palmetto
- Carolinian
- Pennsylvanian
- Vermonter
- Amtrak Virginia Services
- Ethan Allen Express
- New Haven-Springfield-Greenfield Service
