Train travel in the U.S. is about to get a major upgrade. On Thursday, Amtrak announced Amtrak Airo, a new fleet of trains with more spacious interiors and modernized amenities that will start rolling out in 2026, marking the largest single upgrade to its corridor fleet in the company’s 51-year history.
“We were inspired by Moynihan Train Hall to create modern trains with world-class amenities that will transform the customer experience,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said at a press conference at the New York City station, which opened in 2021. “We created a harmonious design that works throughout the train from the exterior into the interior and to create a consistent, contemporary look and feel. On the interior, the trains will elevate the journey while maintaining some of the popular benefits of train travel.”
Passengers will enjoy more room inside the train cars, as well as panoramic windows to take in the outdoor scenery. The “spacious seats” will also have “ergonomic details, plenty of legroom, and plenty of room for your personal devices,” Harris said. There will be adjustable headrests, larger and sturdier tray tables, and new amenities like cupholders, tablet holders, and more table seating—that is, four seats facing one another sharing a table in the middle. There will also be dedicated individual charging ports (both USB and power outlets), as well as free Wi-Fi. The business class car will offer the choice of double and single seats.
Onboard dining will also get a facelift with more “contemporary food service with a thoughtfully-designed cafe car,” Harris said. In addition to more self-service options, attendants will also be on hand to serve them. Wayfinding signage will get a cleaner look, with a more easily-identifiable color-coded system, while the train cars will have enhanced lighting systems with high-tech customer information systems, as well as touchless restroom controls. ADA accessibility will be increased throughout the rail experience.
While the Amtrak Airo fleet will continue to travel up to 125 miles per hour like the current trains, a new seamless transition between electric and diesel operations will reduce travel times on certain routes. The new trains will also be more fuel efficient with 90 percent less particulate emissions while using diesel operations, and will meet Tier 4 emission standards in a battery diesel hybrid configuration.
“This is really exciting since the battery will allow for zero-emission operations while the trains move through the tunnels here in New York City,” Janet Ho of the New York State Department of Transportation said at the press conference. “Outside the city, the battery will be used to capture and score braking energy to provide acceleration boosts when exiting other stations.”
Production on the first train cars—which will be made in the U.S.— has begun, and is being manufactured by Siemens in California.
Amtrak Airo will first roll out on the Cascades services in Washington and Oregon and then be rolled out across the country—in a process that will take about five years—primarily servicing northeastern routes between Maine and North Carolina. Routes will include the Northeast Regional, as well as other routes in and out of New York like the Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Pennsylvanian, and Vermonter. Routes elsewhere in the country that will also get Amtrak Airo trains will include Carolinian, Downeaster, New Haven/Springfield Service, Palmetto, and Virginia Services.
“We're really excited that this can help revitalize the passenger experience not only in New York actually but across the nation,” Ho said.
The news of Amtrak's standard short-haul fleet revitalization is an addition to its announcement that its upscale Acela service on the East Coast will debut new trains in late 2023. Currently in production by French-based Alstom, the train’s seats will have winged headrests for a better barrier between passengers, personal outlets and USB ports, and contactless storage options for luggage. The roomier restrooms will also have automated doors and contactless features.