Amtrak operates a fleet of 2,142 railway cars and 425 locomotives for revenue runs and service, collectively called rolling stock. Notable examples include the GE Genesis and Siemens Charger diesel locomotives, the Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive, the Amfleet series of single-level passenger cars, the Superliner series of double-decker passenger cars, and 20 Acela Express high-speed trainsets. Amtrak also operates 196 locomotives and railcars owned wholly by state partners. [1]
The railroad is currently working to replace its fleet, spending $2.4 billion on 28 Avelia Liberty trainsets for its flagship Acela service and $7.3 billion for 65 Airo trainsets for other Northeast Corridor services. Additionally, California, North Carolina, and a group of Midwestern states purchased Siemens Venture trainsets for use on routes operated by Amtrak in their states, which started entering service in 2022. In 2023, Amtrak announced it had made a request for proposals, looking to replace hundreds of railcars used on long-distance routes. [2]
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 in the United States.
Model | Thumbnail | Road numbers | Active fleet | Year | Power type | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Road power | ||||||
GE Dash 8-32BWH | 500–519 | 17 | 1991 | Diesel | Amtrak | |
GE Genesis P40DC | 800–843 | 11 | 1993 | |||
GE Genesis P42DC | 1–207 | 154 | 1996–2001 | |||
GE Genesis P32AC-DM | 700–717 | 18 | 1995 | Dual-mode | ||
Siemens ACS-64 | 600–665, 667–670 | 67 | 2014 | Electric | ||
Siemens Charger ALC-42 | 300–424 | 49 (125) | 2021 | Diesel | ||
State-owned road power | ||||||
GE Dash 8-32BWH | 2051, 2052 | 1 | 1991 | Diesel | Caltrans | |
EMD F59PH | 1810, 1859, 1869, 1893 | 4 | 1988 | NCDOT | ||
EMD F59PHI | 1755, 1797 | 2 | 1998 | |||
1871, 1984 | 2 | 1990 | ||||
2001–2009 | 8 | 1994 | Caltrans | |||
2010–2015 | 5 | 2001 | ||||
Siemens Charger SC-44 | 1400–1401, 1403–1408 | 8 | 2016 | WSDOT | ||
2101–2124 | 22 | Caltrans | ||||
4601–4633 | 30 | IDOT | ||||
Non-Revenue/Switcher Locomotives | ||||||
EMD SW1 | 737 | 1 | 1941 | Diesel | Amtrak | |
GE 80-ton switcher | 1100 | 0 | 1952 | |||
EMD SW1000R | 794, 796 | 2 | 1952 | |||
EMD MP15 | 530–539 | 7 | 1970 | |||
EMD SW1500 | 541 | 1 | 1970 | |||
EMD SW1001 | 569 | 1 | 1974 | |||
EMD GP38-3 | 720–724 | 5 | 1976 | |||
725–754 | 20 | 1960s/70s [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | ||||
MPI GP15D | 570–579 | 10 | 2004 | |||
MPI MP14B | 590, 592, 593 | 3 | 2010–2013 | Diesel Genset | ||
MPI MP21B | 591 | 1 | 2010 | |||
NRE 2GS12B | 597, 599, 792, 793, 798 | 5 | 2014–2020 | |||
Sources: [1] [7] [8] [9] [10] |
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
Model | Thumbnail | Road Numbers | In service | Year built | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metroliner cab car | 9632–9651 | 15 | 1967–1970 [lower-alpha 3] | Amtrak | |
Amfleet I | 43346–48196, 81500–82999 | 454 | 1975 | ||
Amfleet II | 25000–28024 | 141 | 1981 | ||
Superliner I | 31000–38034 | 221 | 1979 | ||
Superliner II | 32070–39046 | 169 | 1993 | ||
Horizon | 53501–58108 | 89 | 1988 | ||
Viewliner (prototype) | 2300–2301; 8400 | 1 | 1987 | ||
Viewliner I | 62000–62049 | 49 | 1995 | ||
Viewliner II | 61000–69009 | 119 | 2015 | ||
Surfliner | 6300–6908 | 37 | 2000 | ||
F40PH NPCU | 90200–90413 | 14 | 1977–1981 [lower-alpha 4] | ||
HHP-8C NPCU | 9750–9751 | 2 | 1999 [lower-alpha 5] | ||
Autorack | 9200–9279 | 77 | 2005 | ||
State-owned cars | |||||
California Car | 8001–8814 | 65 | 1996 | Caltrans | |
Surfliner | 6351–6965 | 22 | 2002 | ||
Comet IB | 5001–5014 | 14 | 1968 [lower-alpha 6] | ||
North Carolina Fleet | 400001–400205 | 20 | 1952–1965 | NCDOT | |
F40PH NPCU | 90252–90253, 90340 | 3 | 1977, 1980 [lower-alpha 7] | ODOT | |
F59PH NPCU | 101–105 | 5 | 1988–1990 [lower-alpha 8] | NCDOT | |
Siemens Venture | 4001–4020, [lower-alpha 9] 4101–4134, [lower-alpha 10] 4201–4217, [lower-alpha 11] 4301–4317 [lower-alpha 12] [17] | 70 (97) | 2022 | IDOT |
Model | Thumbnail | Road numbers | In service | Year introduced | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acela Express | 2000–2039 | 40 | 1999 | Electric locomotive; each one is semi-permanently coupled to each end of a trainset. | |
3200–3559 | 120 | Unpowered trailer cars; six (four business class, one first class and one cafe) per trainset. 20 trainsets in total. | |||
Talgo Series 8 | 7110–7911 | 33 | 2013 | 2 trainsets used on Amtrak Cascades, owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Unpowered; 13 cars per trainset. | |
Avelia Liberty | 2100–2155 | 0 (56) | (2024) | Not yet in service. 56 electric locomotives on order. [18] [19] [20] | |
3250–3927 | 0 (252) | Not yet in service. 28 nine-car unpowered trainsets. | |||
Siemens Venture | 6 (49) | 2023 [21] | 7 seven-car unpowered trainsets for San Joaquins. Trainset will include a cab car. Owned by Caltrans. | ||
0 (48) | (2026) | Not yet in service. 8 six-car unpowered trainsets for Amtrak Cascades. Trainset will include a cab car. | |||
Airo ( Charger ALC-42E ) | 0 (75) | (2026) [22] | Not yet in service. Electro-diesel locomotive. Motors can be powered by energy generated by diesel engine, drawn from overhead lines by Airo power car, or by charge in Airo battery car. | ||
Airo (Venture) | 0 (156) | Not yet in service. 26 six-car trainsets for Carolinian, Downeaster, Keystone Service, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian and Vermonter. Trainset will include cab car and power car, which will draw power from overhead lines and feed to motors. | |||
0 (256) | Not yet in service. 32 eight-car trainsets for Northeast Regional. Trainset will include cab car and power car, which will draw power from overhead lines and feed to motors. | ||||
0 (102) | Not yet in service. 17 six-car trainsets for Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express and Maple Leaf. Trainset will include a cab car and a battery car that will supply electricity to the motors. | ||||
FLIRT | 0 (4 sets) | (2027) | Not yet in service. Hydrogen multiple units for use on the San Joaquins. [23] [24] |
In addition to its regular fleet, Amtrak owns several business and track geometry cars: [25] [17]
This is a partial listing of locomotives and rolling stock formerly operated by Amtrak. This does not include equipment inherited from private railroads (see #Inherited)
Builder | Model | Thumbnail | Road numbers | Years of service | Power type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Road power | |||||
EMD | SDP40F | 500–649 | 1973–1987 | Diesel | |
GE | P30CH | 700–724 | 1975–1991 | Diesel | |
EMD | F40PH | 200–229, 410–415 | 1976–2003 | Diesel | |
EMD | F40PHR | 230–409 | 1977–2003 | Diesel | |
EMD/Siemens | F69PHAC | 450–451 | 1989–1993 | Diesel | |
GE | E60 | 950–975 | 1974–2003 | Electric | |
Bombardier/Alstom | HHP-8 | 650–664 [lower-alpha 13] | 1999–2014 | Electric | |
EMD/ASEA | AEM-7 | 900–953 | 1978–2016 | Electric | |
EMD | EMD F59PHI | 450–470 | 1998–2019 | Diesel | |
Switchers | |||||
ALCO | RS-1 | 44, 46, 47, 59, 62 | Diesel | ||
ALCO | RS-3 | 100–144 | Diesel | ||
ALCO | S-2 | 746 | Diesel | ||
EMD | SW1 | 730–745 | 1976 | Diesel | |
EMD | SSB1200 | 550–567 | 1984–2008 | Diesel | |
EMD | CF7 | 575–599 | 1984–2003 | Diesel | |
EMD | GP7 | 760–762, 769, 771–784 | Diesel | ||
EMD | GP9 | 763–768, 770 | Diesel | ||
EMD | GP40 | 650–664 | 1991–1993 | Diesel | |
EMD | SW8 | 1, 3, 747–750 | Diesel | ||
GE | 45t | 7 | Diesel | ||
GE | 65t | 5, 6 | Diesel | ||
Railpower | GG20B | 599 | 2006–2008 | Diesel |
Builder | Model | Image | Road numbers | Years of service | Power type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ANF | Turboliner | 58–69 | 1973–1995 | Gas turbine | Semi-permanently coupled trainset. | |
Rohr | Turboliner | 150–163 | 1976–2002 | Gas turbine | Semi-permanently coupled trainset. | |
Bombardier | LRC | 38, 39 (power cars) | 1980–1982 | Diesel | Leased by Amtrak, returned to Bombardier. [30] | |
Talgo | Series VI | 7100–7905 (52 cars) | 1998–2020 | Unpowered (locomotive-hauled) | Five 13-car trainsets for Amtrak Cascades, Two trainsets (Mt. Hood and Mt. Olympus) owned by Amtrak, three (Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier) owned by WSDOT. Mt. Adams trainset destroyed in 2017 Washington train derailment, others retired on recommendation of the NTSB. [31] [32] |
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. [33]
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. [34]
Builder | Model | Road numbers | Years of service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
EMD | F3A | Ex-BN, NP | ||
EMD | F3B | 155–156 | 1971–1975 | Ex-BN, NP |
660–665 | Ex-BN | |||
EMD | F7A | 100–107 | 1971–c. 1977 | Ex-BN, NP |
EMD | F7B | 150–151 | 1971–c. 1977 | Ex-BN, GN |
152–154 | Ex-BN, NP | |||
160–164 | Ex-SP | |||
EMD | FP7A | 110–123 | 1971–c. 1975 | Ex-SP |
EMD | E8A | 200–210 | 1971–c. 1979 | Ex-BO |
211–212 | Ex-BO, CO | |||
213–223 | Ex-RFP | |||
224–225 | Ex-LN | |||
226–227 | Ex-LN, SLSF | |||
230–231 | Ex-SCL, FWD | |||
232–237 | Ex-SCL, ACL | |||
238–245 | Ex-SCL, ACL, MKT | |||
246–254 | Ex-SCL, SAL | |||
255–276 | Ex-PC, NYC, PRR | |||
277–324 | Ex-PC, PCC | |||
325–331 | Ex-UP | |||
332–352 | Ex-BN, CBQ | |||
436 | Ex-IC | |||
EMD | E8B | 370–374 | 1971–c. 1979 | Ex-UP |
EMD | E9A | 400–403 | 1971–1980 | Ex-BO |
404 | Ex-SCL, SAL | |||
405–410, 434–435 | Ex-MILW | |||
411–433 | Ex-UP | |||
EMD | E9B | 446, 453–470 | 1971–1980 | Ex-UP |
450–452, 471–472 | Ex-MILW | |||
EMD | FL9 | 231–242 | 1971–c. 1996 | Dual-mode. Ex-PC, CR, NH |
GE | E44 | 1971–mid 1980s | Ex-PC, PRR | |
GE | GG1 | 900-929 | 1971–1980 | Ex-PC, PRR |
Builder | Model | Road numbers | Original owner | Years of service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UAC | TurboTrain | 50–53 | USDOT via NYC, PC | 1971-1976 | Gas turbine trainset. |
Budd | RDC | 10–20, 27–29, 36 | NH via PC | Diesel multiple unit | |
30–32, 40–42 | Ex-BN, NP | ||||
34 | Ex-PC, NYC | ||||
43 | Ex-BN, GN | ||||
Budd | Metroliner | 800–830, 850–869, 880–889 | PC | 1971-1988 | Electric multiple unit. 860 preserved. Many remain active as de-motored cab cars. |
Builder | Model | Road numbers | Years of service |
---|---|---|---|
Various | Baggage cars | 1000 series | 1971–2017 |
Budd Company / American Car & Foundry Pullman Standard / St Louis Car Company | Sleeping cars | 2000 series | 1971–2007 |
Lounge cars | 3000 series | 1971–2000 | |
Coach cars | 4000–7000 series | 1971–2002 | |
Dining cars | 8000 series | 1971–2017 | |
Budd Company / American Car & Foundry Pullman Standard | Dome cars | 9000 series | 1971–2019 |
Budd Company | Hi-Level cars | 9000 series 39000 series | 1971–2018 |
The Acela is Amtrak's flagship passenger train service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia. Acela trains are the fastest in the Americas, reaching 150 miles per hour (240 km/h), but only over 49.9 miles (80.3 km) of the 457-mile (735 km) route.
The Maple Leaf is an international passenger train service operated by Amtrak and Via Rail between New York Penn Station in New York City and Union Station in Toronto via the Empire Corridor. Daily service is offered in both directions; the 544-mile (875 km) trip takes approximately 12 hours, including two hours for U.S. or Canadian customs and immigration inspection at either Niagara Falls, New York, or Niagara Falls, Ontario. Although the train uses Amtrak rolling stock exclusively, the train is operated by Via Rail crews while in Canada and by Amtrak crews in the United States. Service began in 1981.
The Northeast Regional is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the NortheastDirect, Acela Regional, or Regional. It is Amtrak's busiest route, carrying 9,163,082 passengers in fiscal year (FY) 2023. The Northeast Regional service earned over $787.7 million in gross ticket revenue in FY 2023.
The EMD AEM-7 is a twin-cab four-axle 7,000 hp (5.2 MW) B-B electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and ASEA between 1978 and 1988. The locomotive is a derivative of the Swedish SJ Rc4 designed for passenger service in the United States. The primary customer was Amtrak, which bought 54 for use on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. Two commuter operators, MARC and SEPTA, also purchased locomotives, for a total of 65.
The Metroliners were extra-fare high-speed trains between Washington, D.C., and New York City which operated from 1969 to 2006. They were briefly first operated by Penn Central Transportation, then by Amtrak for 35 years.
The Clocker was a passenger train service between Philadelphia and New York City on the Northeast Corridor at first by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later by Amtrak. The service was nicknamed the Clocker by riders as trains were scheduled to leave each terminal at the top of the hour. The name was eventually adopted into official use by Amtrak in 1981. The service was briefly renamed Acela Commuter in 1999 before the name reverted to Clocker in 2003.
Amtrak California is a brand name used by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Rail for three state-supported Amtrak regional rail routes in California – the Capitol Corridor, the Pacific Surfliner, and the San Joaquins – and their associated connecting network of Amtrak Thruway transportation services.
The Budd Company was a 20th-century metal fabricator, a major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars, airframes, missile and space vehicles, and various defense products.
The Bombardier–Alstom HHP-8 is a type of twin-cab electric locomotive manufactured by a consortium of Bombardier Transportation and Alstom for Amtrak and MARC. The locomotive's electrical drive technology is directly derived from the SNCF BB 36000 manufactured by Alstom.
In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or 'head' of a train, provides the electricity used for heating, lighting, electrical and other 'hotel' needs. The maritime equivalent is hotel electric power. A successful attempt by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway in October 1881 to light the passenger cars on the London to Brighton route heralded the beginning of using electricity to light trains in the world.
Amtrak has used a variety of paint schemes (liveries) on its rolling stock since taking over intercity passenger rail service in the United States in 1971. A series of seven schemes termed Phases, first introduced in 1972, have seen the widest use. Phases primarily use geometric arrangements of red, white, and blue—the national colors of the United States—part of Amtrak's patriotic visual identity.
Amfleet is a fleet of single-level intercity railroad passenger cars built by the Budd Company for American company Amtrak in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Budd based the Amfleet design on its earlier Metroliner electric multiple unit. An initial order for 57 cars in 1973 to supplement the Metroliners on the Northeast Corridor grew to two orders totaling 642 cars, sufficient to reequip all the services on the Northeast Corridor and many other routes around the United States. The first 492 cars, known as Amfleet I and completed between 1975 and 1977, were designed for short-distance service. A second order of 150 cars, known as Amfleet II and completed between 1980 and 1983, were designed for long-distance service. They were the last intercity passenger cars built by Budd.
The Budd SPV-2000 is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar built by the Budd Company between 1978 and 1981 for use on North American commuter railroads. The design was a successor to Budd's popular Rail Diesel Car (RDC) but based on the body of the Amfleet passenger car. It did not prove a success: Budd built 31 cars and they proved mechanically unreliable.
The GE E60 is a family of six-axle 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) C-C electric locomotives made by GE Transportation Systems (GE) between 1972 and 1983. The E60s were produced in several variants for both freight and passenger use in the United States and Mexico. GE designed the locomotive for use on the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad (BM&LP), a dedicated coal-hauling route in Arizona, which began operation in 1973. That same year GE adapted the design for high-speed passenger service on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The largest customer was Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (NdeM), the state-owned railroad in Mexico, which bought 39 for a new electrification project in the early 1980s.
The Turboliners were a family of gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak in the 1970s. They were among the first new equipment purchased by Amtrak to update its fleet with faster, more modern trains. The first batch, known as RTG, were built by the French firm ANF and entered service on multiple routes in the Midwestern United States in 1973. The new trains led to ridership increases wherever used, but the fixed consist that made up a Turboliner train proved a detriment as demand outstripped supply. The high cost of operating the trains led to their withdrawal from the Midwest in 1981.
The Hartford Line is a train service run by Amtrak primarily between Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, along Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line.
The Budd Metroliner was a class of American electric multiple unit (EMU) railcar designed for first-class, high-speed service between New York City and Washington, D.C., on the Northeast Corridor. They were designed for operation up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h): what would have been the first high speed rail service in the Western Hemisphere. Although 164 mph (264 km/h) was reached during test runs, track conditions and electrical issues limited top speeds to 120 mph (190 km/h) in revenue service. The single-ended units were designed to be arranged in two-car sets, which were in turn coupled into four to eight-car trains.
The Siemens Charger is a family of diesel-electric/dual-mode passenger locomotives designed and manufactured by Siemens Mobility for the North American market.
Siemens Venture is a type of locomotive-hauled passenger railroad car built by Siemens Mobility for the North American market. The cars are derived from the Siemens Viaggio Comfort cars used in Europe, with adaptations for North American operations. The cars entered service with Brightline in 2018 and with Amtrak Midwest in 2022. They have also been ordered by Amtrak for national and other state-supported routes, Via Rail, and Ontario Northland. The Venture cars will also be used on Amtrak’s Airo trainsets.
The first-generation Acela Express trainset is a unique set of vehicles used on the Acela, Amtrak's flagship high-speed service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States. When they debuted in 2000, the sets were the fastest in the Americas, reaching 150 mph (240 km/h) on 33.9 mi (54.6 km) of the route. They were built between 1998 and 2001 by a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier. Each set has two power cars derived from units that Alstom built for the TGV, and six passenger cars derived from the LRC that Bombardier built for Via Rail.