Hello Reader,
Amtrak officially shows off the new Airo trains this month!
Amtrak displays the New Airo Trains
Over the past few months, I have talked about Amtrak’s new Airo fleet. On February 10, things got real. Amtrak held a first-look event with Siemens (the manufacturer), federal transportation officials, and its own leadership to showcase the first trainset.
As a quick recap: the Amtrak Cascades, serving Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, BC, and Eugene, gets them first. All eight trainsets for that corridor are expected to finish manufacturing this year, so if you’re planning a Pacific Northwest trip in late 2026, there’s a real chance you’ll be riding new equipment.
The Northeast Regional is next in line. Production begins this year, but revenue service isn’t expected until 2027.
Amtrak has 83 Airo trainsets planned for deployment across the network over the coming years, representing a significant share of its future fleet.
One passenger-facing detail worth noting: the new seats recline by moving forward rather than pushing back into the person behind you. Early reactions have been mixed, so I’ll be curious to hear from readers who have ridden them.
For those of us in the Midwest, don’t expect to see Airo anytime soon, since Venture cars are in service and there’s no indication that Midwest routes are slated for these trainsets.
Below are photos from the Amtrak event, taken by Amtrak.
The Amtrak Ski Train Is Still Going!
If you love skiing and trains, have you taken the Winter Park Express? If not, why not? You still have time this Winter to ride the train. The season runs until March 29, 2026. By the way, you do not need to ski to take the train.
What is Kev Up To?
This week has been somewhat relaxing, and Spring is in the air, even though we are in the middle of winter. It was nice to go for walks both solo and with a friend, and watch a few trains go through town.
It looks like my eldest niece and I are taking a train trip this summer! It's the reverse of my last trip, but a little different.
We will take a Greyhound bus from the Pensacola Airport to Mobile, AL, where we will spend the night. Then early the next morning, we will board the Mardi Gras for New Orleans, spend a few hours in the Crescent City, and then head north to Chicago and on to Wisconsin.
Other than that, I am still working on my VIA Rail Ocean trip. I am waiting for a few activity dates to be confirmed before I can go further. I there
Bringing things to a close
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Until Next Week!
Safe travels & Happy Planning,
Kev Monteith
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