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]
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
Three of Amtrak's business cars on the back of the Blue Water in 2011: the Pacific Cape, Ocean View, and Beech Grove.
Amtrak's American View business and inspection car
In addition to its regular fleet, Amtrak owns several business and track geometry cars:[25][17]
#10001 Beech Grove, an "Amfleet office car"[26] used for official business by the Amtrak president and other VIPs. This unique car has an open observation platform, lounge seating area, dining room, kitchen and 2 sleeping accommodations, as well as lights, GPS equipment and a camera to inspect tracks for defects. The car was repurposed in 2020 with a LiDAR Laser Measurement System.
#10002 Corridor Clipper, an Amfleet I-based track geometry car. It is periodically attached to the end of a diesel or electric revenue-running train or is hauled by a locomotive only. The car previously had a special pantograph that was used to test and measure overhead lines.
#10003, an unnamed Acela-based track geometry car. It is periodically inserted into an Acela Expressconsist between a power car (locomotive) and the nearest end car, resulting in a train with two power cars and seven intermediate cars rather than the normal six.[27]
#10004 American View, a Viewliner-based "inspection car"[28] with rear-facing seats and large glass window at the end of the car that allows passengers to observe the tracks. The car can also be used by maintenance crews to visually inspect the tracks for defects and by the Amtrak president and other executives for official purposes. Originally numbered #2301, the American View is one of the three prototype Viewliner cars and was the last passenger railcar produced by Budd.
#10005, an unnamed catenary measurement car. Like car #10002 Corridor Clipper, this car has a special pantograph that is used to test and measure overhead lines.
#10020 Pacific Bend, a heritage Pacific-series 10-6 sleeper formally used by Union Pacific, now converted for crew use on special trains. Four roomettes remain for staff use, five roomettes have been converted to storage areas and one has been converted into a shower. The bedrooms have been removed and replaced with a crew lounge.
#10021 Pacific Cape, a heritage Pacific-series 10-6 sleeper now converted for crew use on special trains. It is usually used along with the Beech Grove for official business by the Amtrak president and other VIPs.
#9800 Metroliner, a former Metroliner electric multiple unit cafe converted to be used as a first-class conference car. Primarily used on charter services on the Northeast Corridor. The car is broken up into 3 areas, one end of the car has 12 business class seats in a 2+1 configuration, the middle has a cafe, and the other end has conference areas (a large private conference room with 8 seats around a large table, 2 medium-sized semi-private conference sections with 4 seats around a table and 2 small semi-private conference sections with 2 seats around a table).[29] The car at one time had cab controls that have since been removed.
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 #Inherited)
Locomotives
Trainsets
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.[33]
Former (inherited)
Locomotives
EMD E9 "A" and "B" units with the San Joaquin in 1974.
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]
Budd SPV-2000, Connecticut-owned diesel multiple units which Amtrak operated in the 1980s–1990s
Notes
^Renumbered from 737 in January 2024. The number 737 is now used by a GP38-3.[3]
^Originally built as GMD GP40TC locomotives for GO Transit.[4] They were acquired by Amtrak in 1988,[5] and rebuilt to GP38H-3 locomotives in 2005 by the Altoona Works[6]
^Upgraded to GP38-3 standards by Progress Rail 2022–2023[7]
^Originally built as EMD F40PH locomotives; converted into Non-Powered Control Units (NPCUs) from 1996 to 2007,[11] except for Amtrak 406, which was converted in 2011.[12] 406 would later be renumbered to 90406 in 2023 to avoid duplicate numbering with the ALC-42 locomotives.
^Originally built as HHP-8 #661, renumbered 691 upon retirement. Converted between 2021 and 2023 [13]
^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.[17]
^Single coaches with a traditional gangway at each end. All 20 coaches are in service.[17]
^Married pairs, with a coach attached to a cafe car or a business class car. 34 units delivered, with 25 in service.[17]
^Married pairs, with a coach attached to a combined coach/business class car. 14 units delivered, with 9 in service.[17]
^Married pairs, with a coach attached to a lounge/cafe car. 1 unit delivered, but not yet in service.[17]
^Renumbered to 680-694 upon retirement
^Later renumbered 480-491.
^These units were acquired from NJ Transit in 1987, with the intention of using them for Northeast Corridormaintenance 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.[35]
^ a bConverted from locomotives used by Amtrak
^Later renumbered to 1290-1295, then to 685-689
^Later renumbered to 690-692
^Later renumbered 660-665
^Later renumbered 666-671
References
^ a b c"Amtrak Five Year Equipment Asset Line Plan" (PDF). Amtrak. January 18, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
^"Amtrak Starts the Process for New Overnight Trains" (Press release). Amtrak. January 19, 2023.
^ a b"Amtrak By the Numbers: Updates". On Track On Line. May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
^"Exhibit Train Equipment History". Amtrak. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
^"News photo: Amtrak HHP8 tests as cab car". December 5, 2023.
^Rosenbaum, Joel (1996). NJ Transit Rail Operations. Railpace. ISBN 0-9621541-6-4.
^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.
^"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.
^ a b c d e f g hWarner, David (November 1, 2018). "On Track On Line – Amtrak Passenger Equipment Roster – Rolling Stock". on-track-on-line.com. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
^"Amtrak selects Alstom for Northeast Corridor train contract". Railway Gazette International. September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
^"The Next generation of Amtrak High Speed trains". Amtrak. August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
^"Top 10 stories of 2023, No. 4: Amtrak's ongoing capacity issues". Trains. December 30, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
^Lustig, David. "Avoiding Amtrak Airo Surprises". Trains. Vol. 84, no. January 2024. Kalmbach Media. p. 9.
^Fender, Keith (September 21, 2022). "California orders 29 hydrogen trains for inter-city services". International Railway Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
^"California Orders 29 HFC Trains for Intercity Services (UPDATED)". Railway Age. September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
^Simon & Warner (2011).
^"AMTK 10001". Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
^"AMTK10003: Acela Inspection Car". Archived from the original on December 4, 2002. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
^"American View (AMTK 10004)". Retrieved April 11, 2014.
^"Search Results – 9800". Railpictures.net. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
^Simon & Warner (2011), p. 99.
^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.
^Warner, David (July 1, 2020). "On Track On Line - Amtrak Trainset Roster". on-track-on-line.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^Simon & Warner (2011), p. 238.
^ a b"All-Time Amtrak Diesel Locomotive Roster as of 8-29-90". August 29, 1990. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
^ a bSchmidt, Brian (June 23, 2023). "Amtrak E44 electric locomotives". Trains. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
Simon, Elbert; Warner, David C. (2011). Holland, Kevin J. (ed.). Amtrak by the Numbers: A Comprehensive Passenger Car and Motive Power Roster – 1971–2011. Kansas City, Missouri: White River Productions. ISBN 978-1-932804-12-6.
External links
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