Amtrak's New Airo Trains Just Arrived in Seattle-Here's What to Expect

The first Airo trainset has arrived in Seattle for final testing on the Amtrak Cascades route from Vancouver through Washington and Oregon. Eight trainsets are planned for rollout by the end of 2026. The coach cars include upgraded ergonomic seats with more legroom, USB charging ports, sturdier tray tables, seatback tablet stands, and cupholders, creating a more open and better lit experience. The trains are designed to seat about 300 passengers, about 50% more than current equipment, supporting growing ridership. An upgraded business class offers single and double seats, and the cafe car provides more contemporary self-service food options. The trainsets were built domestically by Siemens and previously tested on dedicated and active tracks.

"The first Airo trainset arrived in Seattle this week for the final phase of testing on the Amtrak Cascades tracks, which runs from Vancouver through Washington and Oregon. It's the first of eight trainsets that Amtrak plans to roll out along the route by the end of 2026."

"Airo's sleek coach cars feature upgraded, ergonomic seats with plenty of legroom, USB charging ports, sturdier tray tables, seatback tablet stands, and cupholders. "It's a more open experience. It's better lit. It's newer materials," Derek Maier, senior director of Amtrak's Airo program, told the New York Times."

"They'll also have more capacity on board, Amtrak says. The new Airo trains will seat around 300 passengers, roughly 50% more than the current aging equipment on the line. That should help with growing ridership. More than 950,000 people traveled on the Cascades service in 2025, a 1.4% increase over the previous year."

"There's also an upgraded business class with both single and double seats, and an updated cafe car that will provide "more contemporary" and self-service food options. The trainsets were built domestically by Siemens, the same manufacturer as Amtrak's new Acela trains, which debuted in the Northeast in 2025."

Read at Conde Nast Traveler