Starting September 30, a new era of train travel kicks off across the Pacific Northwest region as Amtrak officially debuts its first two sleek, upgraded, feature-packed Airo fleet trainsets on the Amtrak Cascades line.
These new trains offer ergonomic seats, panoramic views, free Wi-Fi, personal power outlets, better accessibility, an upgraded onboard cafe, and over 300 seats per trainset, marking a significant and noticeable boost in capacity.
During this initial rollout phase, the two new trainsets will handle four daily runs on the Cascades route. Amtrak plans to roll out eight total trainsets to completely replace the old fleet by 2027.
For passengers traveling directly out of Seattle, you can be among the first to experience the new transits by boarding the 8:30 a.m. departure to Vancouver or the 7:10 a.m. departure to Eugene.
The other two daily runs cover the return legs: a 4:30 p.m. train from Eugene to Seattle (arriving at 10:50 p.m.) and a 4:45 p.m. train from Vancouver to Seattle (arriving at 9:10 p.m.).
As reported by the Washington State Standard, the Amtrak Cascades route has been running below full capacity since March 2025, when multiple Horizon rail cars were sidelined over corrosion concerns. Amtrak had already ordered the eight replacement trainsets back in 2021 as part of a nationwide upgrade effort.
Although the introduction of these new train cars will not immediately result in added trips or altered travel schedules, they will certainly deliver a much sleeker visual appeal. As the first service in the nation to get the Airo fleet, the Cascades line features custom designs inspired by the Cascade Mountains, blended with its classic evergreen, cream, and mocha colors.
Airo trainsets assigned to other regions will feature Amtrak’s standard red, white, and blue colors combined with the fleet’s unique styling.
In total, Amtrak is rolling out 83 Airo trainsets nationwide. Next up for the upgrade is the Northeast Regional route, where the initial trainset recently started test runs. Additional trainsets are scheduled to launch in late 2027.
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