Amtrak Is Debuting New State-of-the-Art Trains This Year

After setting an all-time ridership record in 2025, Amtrak is looking to the future. One of the rail provider’s biggest initiatives? Updating its aging fleet to provide a more reliable and comfortable service for the 35 million people who now ride Amtrak each year. Enter the Amtrak Airo — a new state-of-the-art train model entering service in 2026. Here’s a look at what makes this new design so special, plus where and when you can expect these trains to make their debut.

Notable Features

At first glance, Amtrak Airo train cars are a major aesthetic improvement over older models that have been in service for decades. These new trains boast a sleek, eye-catching exterior design, as well as an interior outfitted with modern finishes. 

The ergonomically designed seats are roomier than before, providing plenty of legroom for all passengers. You’ll also find sturdier tray tables, movable headrests, and dedicated cup and tablet holders. Tech is upgraded, too — all seats will feature dedicated outlets, USB ports, and 5G-enabled Wi-Fi.

Another special feature of the Airo model is that each cabin is outfitted with panoramic windows, offering stunning views of the passing terrain. This is a big improvement on older Amtrak models, which typically had smaller windows and a dedicated viewing car that required riders to leave their regular seats.

Amtrak’s new Airo trains were also designed with accessibility in mind. Spacious restrooms, wheelchair lifts, and wider vestibules make these trains more welcoming to riders using a wheelchair or those with mobility concerns. Furthermore, signage has been improved: Cleaner text and color-coded systems will make it easier to navigate the cabins and find the cafe car, business class, or bathrooms (which will also have touchless controls).

There’s a major update to business-class seating, too: While older train models featured a two-by-two seating configuration, business class on the Airo line offers a two-by-one seat configuration. This means more privacy for business-class passengers traveling alone — and more comfort because there are fewer seats installed in the business-class section.

Reliability and Sustainability

Two other areas in which Airo trains excel are reliability and sustainability. Airo trains are not only capable of traveling at faster speeds (up to 125 mph), but they also eliminate the need for time-consuming engine changes. While many older Amtrak models would need to stop in locations such as Washington, D.C., to swap out the engine from diesel to electric, that’s no longer the case. Airo trains will have dual-engine technology that allows them to switch between electrified and nonelectrified tracks, meaning less downtime sitting in transit hubs.

Manufactured at Siemens facilities in California and North Carolina, the trains are also more fuel-efficient thanks to their hybrid battery power options, and they are estimated to produce 90% fewer particulate emissions than diesel alternatives.

When Does the Airo Debut?

Amtrak plans to roll out 83 Airo trainsets over several months. It’ll all begin along the Amtrak Cascades line that connects Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon. There’s no exact date for the official debut as of the time of writing, but Airos are expected to hit the rails this year, perhaps as early as spring 2026.

This debut couldn’t come at a better time for Amtrak’s Cascades line, which saw 70 older trains removed from service in 2025 due to corrosion. The corroded trains were subsequently replaced by smaller models that couldn’t sufficiently accommodate the Cascades line’s usual ridership.

After they debut on the Cascades route, the plan is for Airo trains to be rolled out on Amtrak’s most heavily trafficked route — the Northeast Regional line, which passes through Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Airo trains are expected to provide much-needed reliability on a route that has historically been plagued by congestion, delays, and crowded trains.

In the meantime, the trains are still undergoing safety testing before making their official rollout. But riders should expect these world-class train cars before long.