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10/1/2026
Editor's note: This article was updated to correctly identify the cities that the Cascades route travels through.
The first two Amtrak Airo trainsets entered service yesterday on the Amtrak Cascades route, which offers four daily trips between Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; and Portland and Eugene, Oregon.
Amtrak ordered eight Airo trainsets for the Cascades route. The remaining six trainsets will enter service through early 2027, ultimately replacing the existing Cascades fleet. Designed specifically for the Pacific Northwest, the new trainsets feature the signature Amtrak Cascades color palette of evergreen, cream and mocha brown. Each trainset has more than 300 seats and six restrooms. They feature ergonomic seating, accessible seating, panoramic windows, enhanced lighting and other passenger amenities such as Wi-Fi, power outsets and new food and beverage menus, Amtrak officials said in a press release.
Amtrak purchased 83 Airo trainsets, encompassing 86 Charger locomotives and 576 passenger coaches, for its national fleet renewal program. The next Airo deployment is planned for the Northeast Regional service in late 2027.
The trainsets are being manufactured by Siemens Mobility at the company's California and North Carolina facilities. They incorporate components from nearly 100 suppliers across 31 states, Amtrak officials said. Non-Cascades trainsets will be adorned in Amtrak's national red, white and blue color scheme.
"Airo brings together American manufacturing, decades of global rail expertise and intelligent digital technology to create a fleet built for the future," said Siemens Mobility North America CEO Tobias Bauer.
STV Inc. is providing program management and engineering support for the fleet procurement process, including technical design review, specification compliance assessments, manufacturing oversight, testing support and onsite inspections.
"The launch demonstrates what’s possible when vehicle engineering, manufacturing and operations remain aligned from concept through passenger service,” said Thomas Janssen, senior engineering operations manager at STV. “Travelers in the Pacific Northwest will see the benefits of how modern vehicle technology can deliver a better rider experience while creating a platform for next-generation efficiency, reliability and network growth.”