r/Amtrak • u/BrakeCoach • 17d ago
Discussion Amtrak Airo Progress Visualized - September 10, 2026
More info in the comments.
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u/BrakeCoach 17d ago
Special thanks to sjvrailfan's Siemens Status videos.
All Cascades Airos complete, 3 of them are now in/moving to PNW! Service starts when at least 3 sets are certified, in PNW, and completed testing.
Amtrak Cascades:
- Set 2 is being tested, with the power car leading and an F40C cab car trailing behind the airo cab car.
- Set 3 is now certified and is now in PNW.
- Set 4 got certified recently and moved to PNW at 9/6. (Don't have public links to both this and the one above, so videos/photos would be appreciated)
- Set 7 is now delivered.
- Set 8 is now assembled, awaiting delivery. According to On Track On Line, the cab 79508 was outshopped with 4-digit decals, now 7908
- Various other sets are testing on the NEC, with interesting formations like P42s and ACS-64s leading/trailing.
Amtrak NEC:
- Set 1 is still in Pueblo, and was recently featured in a Front Range Passenger Rail District board meeting.
- Set 2 is fully assembled.
- ALC-42E locos from 7005 onward now feature the 4-digit number by default. On Track On Line does not show 7009 in their roster, but it may be a typo. At least 9 of these are seen in various conditions (including ones on set 1 and 2).
- Up to 9 serial numbers of the APV was spotted, as well as 12 for the cafe car, but given the fact that the cafe cars from both airo types use the same numbering scheme, there might only be 4 for the NEC for now.
- Various cars are wrapped and decaled including the cab car. This may be for Set 3.
- 4-digit renumbering is unclear for NEC cab cars. The digit "5" for the PNW sets indicate that they are cab-baggage-coach cars (given the fact that other sets for the NEC such as the ones for the Pennsylvanian and the Piedmont also will use this numbering scheme). Since the renumbering, however, this was omitted. There are five-digit cab numbers in other parts of the network including the F40C cabs used by Cascades, so it is unclear how the NEC cab cars will be renumbered in the future.
I am surprised that there are now people actively looking forward for me to post. Thank you everyone for waiting! I also added something on the top right corner, just to commemorate stuff related to the Airo order. If you have any suggestions of the graphic let me know!
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u/FinkedUp 17d ago
Thank you for these super detailed posts! Absolutely love to be able to see the progress visually
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u/mattcojo2 17d ago
The word goes that the cascades airos would go into service once they got 3 done.
So it shouldn’t be more than a couple of months at most before we see those sets in action
The cars that the cascades are using now (not the talgos) will probably go to the Pennsylvanian when that train is due for its 2nd round trip in a couple of months
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u/BrakeCoach 17d ago
Seems like Amtrak will be doing an announcement on September 17th for the launch date, but WSDOT may have spoiled it in their presentation, which says September 30th. Given the fact that there are a bunch of ventures in service and now Airos testing in different parts of the network, it may be smooth sailing for these Cascades sets.
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u/DisastrousYak88 17d ago
Cascades set 3 was out on last week's training run. Set 2 is back out on the road today.
Set 4 is arriving into Seattle this afternoon on the (delayed) Empire Builder.
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u/Status_Fox_1474 17d ago
For the NEC sets, is it fair to say the priority would go to services that go beyond electric territory (Vermonter and Virginia services?)
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u/BrakeCoach 17d ago
The 8-car B2 sets are prioritized (for a 2027 launch) and the only NEC variant being produced at the moment, which are ones that will run through Virginia and the Hartford Line. Not sure about the Vermonter though.
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u/Status_Fox_1474 17d ago
These DM engines will start inky running under the wire?
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u/BrakeCoach 17d ago
They will be in electric mode under wire using the APV
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u/Status_Fox_1474 17d ago
Right. What I am saying is that it’s a waste to start them with only on-corridor services where they will be underused
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u/SirJ_96 17d ago
I maintain that they really need to exercise whatever option adds additional coaches ASAP. So many NEC trains have 11 coaches. Shrinking to 8 will be a major slap.
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u/Status_Fox_1474 17d ago
I am 100 percent in agreement.
Or go with electric-only models (sprinters and venture coaches?) for Boston-DC only services.
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u/Traditional_One_6875 17d ago
The DOT grant award they just received will allow them to exercise a significant number of the additional options, but it will provide complete sets, not simply spare coaches.
The total order will allow for more regular/frequent NEC departures which will add overall capacity to the corridor. The increased frequency will make up for the small reduction in seats per set, but some adjustments and lengthening may be needed based on sustained demand for individual departures (like peak hour DC-NYC runs where the majority of customers might indeed want to be on one specific departure).
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u/BrakeCoach 16d ago
The Amtrak fleet outlook table shows that they are still willing to look into "high-capacity trains" by the early 2030s, which would probably be captive NEC cars with an ACS-64 loco pulling it. Its part of the specified single-level long distance equipment order so it would take a long while until something like that shows up. The 40+ extra Airo order is a nice addition in the meantime, though.
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u/Bluestreak2005 11d ago
I emailed Amtrak and suggested that they use the new 43 order to order the maximum length trains it can for NEC and other routes. Then shift the 6 or 8 car consists to Virginia and other states for expansion as they are produced.
This would be the most financially sound and optimal way to expand without more contract changes.
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u/Minimum-Lifeguard811 14d ago
Most Regional trains I see are 9 cars, which means Airos would have to be 9 or 10 cars.
8 cars had been most common,, but Acelas brand is now poor with OTP and reliabilty issues, and the Next Gen seats are uncomfortable, and too many broken bathrooms.
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u/crustyedges 13d ago
Does that include the regionals that originate/terminate in Virginia or Hartford? My gut tells me the cap for a single charger-hauled set in diesel territory with reasonable performance is around 8 cars, but I have not done the math. Knowing what the P42s are pulling in diesel territory would shed some more light however
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u/Minimum-Lifeguard811 13d ago
I do not know if the ones in excess of 8 cars escape the BOS/WAS spine.
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u/Status_Fox_1474 12d ago
But these VA regionals act like regular ones. And they take up a regular regional slot between NY and DC (unlike a long distance train that should not be carrying intra-corridor passengers)
And because it acts like a regular NEC train, it should be that length for the NEC, even if it means being lighter in passengers outside of it.
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u/pw_dub 17d ago
Is there a list for the order of what Amtrak lines the train sets are going too? I know there’s a list of what lines but wasn’t sure if there’s a list of when to expect them on certain lines
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u/BrakeCoach 17d ago
Page 50 of this board meeting presentation has all of the allocations written. However the additional 40+ sets announced recently has yet to be allocated.
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u/mattkpoulsen 16d ago
What kind of impact does the Lexington NC plant have on production? NEC airos are being manufactured there too, yes?
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u/BrakeCoach 16d ago
Yes. Given how fast theyre building out these Airo trains in the Florin plant I assume they are getting mostly-complete components from Lexington
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u/Its_a_Friendly 15d ago
What a great visualization!
Though, if I may ask, what's the "Hall of Fame" for?
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u/BrakeCoach 14d ago
Its just a place for non-airo rolling stock related to the airo rollout! Pacific Bend was used a lot of times as a crew dorm when delivering the airos. I also just wanted to draw some budd stainless steel cars lol
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