New Amtrak trains are finally headed to the Pacific Northwest, giving riders in Washington and Oregon their first major equipment upgrade in decades and potentially opening the door to much more frequent service between Seattle and Portland.
On the Seattle-to-Portland run, riders who normally crawl up Interstate 5 could get a cleaner, roomier alternative without spending more time than they would behind the wheel.
Here's what to know
As Grist reported, Amtrak's $8 billion Airo program covers 83 trainsets that will eventually serve more than a dozen routes, including lines in New England, Pennsylvania, and across much of the mid-Atlantic. The rollout is expected to begin, with the first eight sets going to the Cascades route connecting Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Even with six stops along the way, the train between Seattle and Portland already takes about three hours and 30 minutes, which is roughly the same as driving.
For Cascades riders, the new trainsets are expected to carry 317 passengers, a major increase over the current cars, and reach top speeds of 125 mph. Amtrak said they should provide "significant environmental benefits" while improving comfort and reliability.
Charlie Hamilton, who leads the train advocacy group All Aboard Washington, said one overlooked advantage of the route is being able to watch highway traffic back up while moving past it on the train.
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More background
Some of Amtrak's equipment still dates to the 1970s, so replacing those cars could help modernize service in a region where rail already competes with driving on certain trips.
Around the world, rail carries 8% of passengers while using just 2% of transportation energy demand, making it one of the more efficient ways to move large numbers of people.
On a corridor such as Seattle-to-Portland, where road congestion remains a persistent frustration, better trains could offer more seats, fewer delays, and a more appealing alternative to driving.
Hamilton said, "It's nice to be able to be going along there and going faster than what people on Interstate 5 are doing. We kind of like that bit."
What's being done?
The Airo fleet is part of a wider effort to rebuild passenger rail in the United States. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Biden administration committed a historic $66 billion to passenger and freight rail, helping make major purchases like this one possible.
Amtrak introduced new NextGen Acela trains on the Northeast Corridor. In August, the federal government announced $3 billion in funding for Amtrak, including $2 billion for train purchases.
That support comes even though the Trump administration has proposed steep cuts to passenger rail funding, even as Amtrak has posted ridership records for two straight years.
Supporters say the bigger opportunity for the Northwest may be more departures. With added capacity and newer equipment, rail could shift from an occasional option to a more regular choice for commuters and regional travelers.
"Having trains once an hour would be very helpful, and the Airo trainsets would make it possible to do that," Hamilton said.
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