List of Amtrak rolling stock

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Amtrak operates a fleet of 2,142 railway cars and 425 locomotives for revenue service and railroad operations, collectively referred to as its rolling stock. Notable examples include the GE Genesis and Siemens Charger diesel locomotives, the Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive, the Amfleet and Viewliner series of single-level passenger cars, the Superliner series of double-decker passenger cars, and 20 Acela Express high-speed trainsets. In addition, Amtrak operates 196 locomotives and railcars that are wholly owned by its state partners. [1]

Contents

The railroad is currently undertaking a fleet replacement effort, spending $2.4 billion on 28 NextGen Acela [2] (Avelia Liberty) trainsets for its flagship Acela service and $7.3 billion for 65 Airo trainsets for other Northeast Corridor services. Separately, California and a consortium of Midwestern states have purchased Siemens Venture trainsets for use on Amtrak-operated routes within their regions; these began entering service in 2022. In 2023, Amtrak issued a request for proposals to replace hundreds of railcars used on long-distance routes. [3]

Current

Locomotives

Amtrak operates diesel, electric, and dual-mode (diesel or electric) locomotives. Its electric locomotives are confined to the Northeast Corridor and the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line, dual-mode locomotives are only used in the Empire Corridor between Albany and New York, and the diesel locomotives are used in all other areas across the United States.

Passenger cars

As of late 2018, Amtrak rostered 1,408 passenger cars of various types. These include coaches, lounges, dining cars, sleeping cars, baggage cars and crew/dormitory cars. [1] :48–51

Train sets/multiple units

Business cars

In addition to its regular fleet, Amtrak owns several business and track geometry cars: [29] [20]

Former (Amtrak purchased)

This is a partial listing of locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by Amtrak. This does not include equipment inherited from private railroads (see below).

Locomotives

Trainsets

Passenger cars

Express cars

Amtrak has fielded four different types of specialized cars to support its mail and express business. These included material handling cars (MHCs), roadrailers, express boxcars, and ExpressTrak refrigerator cars. Although express cars are traditionally called "head end" cars; the MHC express boxcars were the only cars equipped with lines for head end power, allowing them to be located between the locomotive and passenger cars. All others were found on the rear of the train, behind the last passenger car. Most of the fleet was retired in 2003 when Amtrak exited the express business, save for parcels carried in baggage cars. [38]

Former (inherited)

Locomotives

Amtrak inherited numerous locomotives from private railroads on its formation in 1971. Most of these were retired by the end of the decade, if not earlier. These locomotives are enumerated below, with their original owners. [39]

Trainsets and multiple units

Passenger cars

The Ocean View, Amtrak's former dome car, on the Cardinal in 2011 Dome Trip 090 (6324244579).jpg
The Ocean View, Amtrak's former dome car, on the Cardinal in 2011

Generator cars

In its early years, Amtrak also rostered some generator cars rebuilt from older locomotives and rolling stock. [39]

See also

Notes

  1. Renumbered from 737 in January 2024. The number 737 is now used by a GP38-3. [4]
  2. Originally built as GMD GP40TC locomotives for GO Transit. [5] They were acquired by Amtrak in 1988, [6] and rebuilt to GP38H-3 locomotives in 2005 by the Altoona Works [7]
  3. Upgraded to GP38-3 standards by Progress Rail 2022–2023 [8]
  4. Originally built as Budd Metroliner electric multiple units; converted to control cars from 1987 to 1988
  5. Originally built as EMD F40PH locomotives; converted into Non-Powered Control Units (NPCUs) from 1996 to 2007, [12] except for Amtrak 406, which was converted in 2011. [13] 406 would later be renumbered to 90406 in 2023 to avoid duplicate numbering with the ALC-42 locomotives.
  6. 9750 was originally built as HHP-8 #661, renumbered 691 upon retirement. Converted between 2021 and 2023. [14]
  7. 9700 was originally built as Amtrak 184, a GE P42DC. [15] [16] It was converted into a P42C in 2024, and it will be the first of 20 P42Cs. [16]
  8. Originally built for Penn Central Transportation Company and NJDOT as Arrow I electric multiple units. They were converted to Comet IB locomotive-hauled coaches by Morrison–Knudsen from 1987 to 1988, for use by NJ Transit Rail Operations. [17] These cars were purchased by Caltrans in 2008, [18] and after a second rebuild, entered service on the San Joaquins in 2013. [19]
  9. Originally built for Amtrak as EMD F40PH locomotives; converted to Non-Powered Control Units (NPCUs) in the late-1990s and early-2000s. They were purchased by the Oregon Department of Transportation in 2009, and leased to Amtrak for use on the Amtrak Cascades. [20]
  10. Originally built for GO Transit rail services as EMD F59PH locomotives; now owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, they were converted to Cab Control Units (CCU) in 2019 for use on the Piedmont. [20]
  11. Single coaches with a traditional gangway at each end. All 20 coaches are in service. [20]
  12. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a cafe car or a business class car. 34 units delivered, with 25 in service. [20]
  13. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a combined coach/business class car. 14 units delivered, with 9 in service. [20]
  14. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a lounge/cafe car. 1 unit delivered, but not yet in service. [20]
  15. Renumbered to 680-694 upon retirement
  16. Later renumbered 480-491.
  17. These units were acquired from NJ Transit in 1987, with the intention of using them for Northeast Corridor maintenance of way trains. However, these units never entered service, and were officially retired in 1991, when the GE Dash 8-32BWHs used the 500 series. One unit, ex-Amtrak 502, is now at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, restored to its original appearance as PRR 4465. [40]
  18. 1 2 Converted from locomotives used by Amtrak
  19. Later renumbered to 1290–1295, then to 685–689
  20. Later renumbered to 690–692
  21. Later renumbered 660–665
  22. Later renumbered 666–671

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Amtrak Five Year Equipment Asset Line Plan" (PDF). Amtrak. January 18, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  2. "NextGen Acela | Amtrak". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  3. "Amtrak Starts the Process for New Overnight Trains" (Press release). Amtrak. January 19, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Amtrak By the Numbers: Updates". On Track On Line. May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  5. Wilson, Jeff (2009). The Model Railroader's Guide to Diesel Locomotives. Kalmbach Publishing. p. 55. ISBN   978-0-89024-761-7.
  6. Solomon, Brian (2004). Amtrak. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press. p. 106. ISBN   978-0-7603-1765-5.
  7. "Amtrak Motive Power Roster". On Track On Line. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  8. "AMTRAK BY THE NUMBERS". On Track On Line. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  9. "Motive Power Roster". On Track On Line. November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  10. Sutton, Harry; Warner, David. "On Track On Line – Amtrak Motive Power Roster". on-track-on-line.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  11. "Amtrak Service Asset Line Plans" (PDF). www.amtrak.com.
  12. Simon & Warner 2011, p. 42
  13. "Exhibit Train Equipment History". Amtrak. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  14. "News photo: Amtrak HHP8 tests as cab car". December 5, 2023.
  15. "On Track On Line – P42 Retirement Status". on-track-on-line.com.
  16. 1 2 Guss, Chris (November 12, 2024). "Amtrak NPCU 'Cabbage' locomotives". Trains . Retrieved January 3, 2025. The first P42DC to be converted was AMTK No. 184, which became P42C No. 9700. These new control cars were modified differently than the original NPCUs, retaining their internal components for weight purposes. The original NPCU fleet didn't have enough ballast applied, which gave the engineer a rougher ride when occupied. AMTK P42C No. 9700 doesn't feature a roll-up door on its sides due to the lack of use of the baggage compartment in the existing NPCU fleet, and because the P42DC has a monoque design in which the carbody is part of the structural support for the entire locomotive. Amtrak is planning for an eventual fleet of 20 P42Cs to cover its needs across its system.
  17. Rosenbaum, Joel (1996). NJ Transit Rail Operations. Railpace. ISBN   0-9621541-6-4.
  18. San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority/Caltrans. "San Joaquin Rolling Stock Presentation" (PDF). pp. 35–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
  19. "San Joaquin Trains 711 and 718: Operate with Refurbished Equipment" (Press release). Amtrak. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Warner, David (November 1, 2018). "On Track On Line – Amtrak Passenger Equipment Roster – Rolling Stock". on-track-on-line.com. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  21. "Amtrak selects Alstom for Northeast Corridor train contract". Railway Gazette International. September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  22. "Amtrak orders Alstom trains for Northeast Corridor". International Railway Journal. August 26, 2016.
  23. "The Next generation of Amtrak High Speed trains". Amtrak. August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  24. "2025 SJJPA Business Plan Public Review Draft" (PDF). San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. March 11, 2025. p. 5. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  25. "Top 10 stories of 2023, No. 4: Amtrak's ongoing capacity issues". Trains. December 30, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  26. Lustig, David. "Avoiding Amtrak Airo Surprises". Trains . Vol. 84, no. January 2024. Kalmbach Media. p. 9.
  27. Fender, Keith (September 21, 2022). "California orders 29 hydrogen trains for inter-city services". International Railway Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  28. "California Orders 29 HFC Trains for Intercity Services (UPDATED)". Railway Age. September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  29. Simon & Warner (2011).
  30. "AMTK 10001". Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  31. "AMTK10003: Acela Inspection Car". Archived from the original on December 4, 2002. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  32. "American View (AMTK 10004)" . Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  33. "Search Results – 9800". Railpictures.net. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  34. Simon & Warner (2011), p. 99.
  35. Lindblom, Mike (May 22, 2019). "WSDOT to replace its Talgo railcars like those in the 2017 Amtrak crash near DuPont 'as soon as possible'" . Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  36. Warner, David (July 1, 2020). "On Track On Line – Amtrak Trainset Roster". on-track-on-line.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  37. 1 2 "Amtrak Photo Archive – the Bi Levels". hebners.net. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  38. Simon & Warner (2011), p. 238.
  39. 1 2 "All-Time Amtrak Diesel Locomotive Roster as of 8-29-90". August 29, 1990. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  40. 1 2 Schmidt, Brian (June 23, 2023). "Amtrak E44 electric locomotives". Trains . Retrieved July 7, 2024.