New Amtrak Cascades Train Arrived in Seattle is Surprisingly Nice

The first new Amtrak Cascades Airo train rolled into Seattle last week, with fresh evergreen, cream, and mocha color paint with gold accents, and panoramic windows. This is not your grandfather's Amtrak train.

Passenger service on this brand new train begins this autumn, and northwest railroad fans' long wait is almost over.

This New Amtrak Trainset had to Travel Far to Arrive in Seattle

The new Amtrak Cascades trainset had a long road to finally arrive at its home destination in Seattle. The new train was built by Siemens and was first tested at the Federal Railroad Administration's world-class facility in Pueblo, Colorado. It passed every test, including brake performance, noise and vibration levels, emergency equipment, and safety systems.

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It was moved from Pueblo to the Northeast Corridor for testing on active railroad tracks, which is the fastest way to complete the testing schedule because Amtrak owns that track and can clear capacity. It traveled from the Northeast Corridor to Chicago before being added to the Empire Builder consist and riding the rails all the way to Seattle.

What Riding It Will Actually Feel Like

Anyone who has ever white-knuckled a bumpy Amtrak ride through the Pacific Northwest will love the improvements. The new Airo trainsets are semi-permanently coupled as a six-car unit, which means they will not rock and sway the way individual Amfleet cars do on rough track. That makes for a much smoother ride.

Each trainset seats 300 passengers, including wheelchair accessible spots. Panoramic windows give you full views of the scenery between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, BC, which, on a clear day, is genuinely stunning through the Cascades.

Every seat has individual power outlets, USB-C ports, movable headrests, and enhanced lighting. There is a new Cafe Car, six large restrooms with touchless controls, automated steps, digital information displays, and free onboard Wi-Fi.

These new trains have nearly 50% more capacity than the old ones they replace

When Can You Actually Ride the Amtrak Cascades New Train

Sometime in autumn 2026 is the target for the first two trainsets to enter passenger service. As of now, four of the eight ordered trainsets have left the factory, with the remaining four still being built.

Before any of them carry passengers, onboard crews and mechanical technicians must complete training. Amtrak describes its trains as far more technologically advanced than anything they have operated before.

Three still need to complete Northeast Corridor testing and then make the journey west. When three are here and fully tested, that is when the first two will start service, while the third continues crew training.