The first new Amtrak Cascades Airo train rolled into Seattle last week, with fresh evergreen, cream, and mocha color paint with gold accents, and panoramic windows. This is not your grandfather’s Amtrak train.
Passenger service on this brand new train begins this autumn, and northwest railroad fans’ long wait is almost over.
This New Amtrak Trainset had to Travel Far to Arrive in Seattle
The new Amtrak Cascades trainset had a long road to finally arrive at its home destination in Seattle. The new train was built by Siemens and was first tested at the Federal Railroad Administration’s world-class facility in Pueblo, Colorado. It passed every test, including brake performance, noise and vibration levels, emergency equipment, and safety systems.
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It was moved from Pueblo to the Northeast Corridor for testing on active railroad tracks, which is the fastest way to complete the testing schedule because Amtrak owns that track and can clear capacity. It traveled from the Northeast Corridor to Chicago before being added to the Empire Builder consist and riding the rails all the way to Seattle.
Seattle got its first look at @Amtrak’s next-generation Cascades train Saturday.The new Airo trainsets feature panoramic windows, upgraded seating, USB-C charging ports and nearly 50% more capacity as officials push rail as an alternative to I-5 traffic and gas prices. pic.twitter.com/DgB4TQBv4K…