For Charlie Hamilton, who regularly zips between Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver on Amtrak, the best view isn't Mount Rainier. It's the hapless cars gridlocked on I-5, while his train glides by. Because, let's be honest, sometimes the train in the Pacific Northwest is the only thing moving faster than a snail.
Turns out, Hamilton's joy might soon be supercharged. Amtrak is about to roll out 83 brand-spanking-new trainsets, dubbed Airo, starting this fall. Eight of them are headed straight to the Cascades route, promising a smoother, swifter ride for those of us who prefer our commutes without the existential dread of rush hour.
No More Engine Musical Chairs
This isn't just a fresh coat of paint. This is an $8 billion glow-up, designed to shave time off trips and generally make train travel less of a gamble. These Airo trains can hit 125 mph, carry more passengers (317, to be precise), and are supposedly more reliable. Which, when you're dealing with equipment that might predate your parents, is a pretty low bar to clear, but we'll take it.
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Start Your News DetoxOne of the Airo's coolest party tricks? It's a hybrid. It runs on both electric and diesel power. Why does this matter? Because much of the U.S. rail network is still stuck in the fossil fuel era. But the Airo can seamlessly switch between power sources without a full-blown locomotive change. Take that, Washington D.C.'s Union Station, where passengers currently endure up to an hour of engine musical chairs just to go from a diesel-powered leg to an electric one. Virginia, for one, is already calling it a "win for the environment" and for anyone who's ever been stuck in traffic.
Greener, Leaner, and Long Overdue
Amtrak's current fleet includes some trains from the 1970s. Let that sink in. So, these new Airo trains, built by Siemens in the U.S., are a much-needed breath of fresh air — literally. They meet the Environmental Protection Agency's strictest emissions standards, slashing particulate matter and nitrogen oxide. Because apparently, we can have nice things and breathe easy.
While train travel already uses a mere 2% of global transportation energy to carry 8% of passengers, these Airo trains are set to make an already efficient mode of transport even cleaner. It's almost like carrying a lot of people in one vehicle is more efficient than everyone driving their own electric car. Who knew?
So, whether you're eyeing the scenic route or just trying to get from point A to B without losing your mind to traffic, Amtrak's Airo trains are pulling into the station. And they're bringing a whole lot of overdue upgrades with them.
