CT: New high-speed Amtrak Airo trains to roll into Connecticut in 2027
Amtrak has debuted its new $8 billion fleet of trains and they are on track to come rolling through Connecticut next year.
The new Amtrak Airo trains are now in testing on the Northeast Regional line, which runs from Washington, D.C., through Connecticut and up to Boston. The trains were unveiled at an event last month, according to Amtrak.
"This is an exciting day for Amtrak," Amtrak President Roger Harris said at a press event in February. "These trains represent the next step in Amtrak's modernization of our entire fleet."
The new trains are part of a wider plan to replace Amtrak's aging long-distance railcars. The rail service announced 83 Airo trains, at a cost of $8 billion. Amtrak selected California-based Siemens Mobility to build the trains but said construction involved 3,500 parts manufactured by nearly 100 suppliers in 31 states.
Airo trains will feature panoramic windows, a 90% reduction in diesel emissions, improved accessibility and a choice of double and single seats for business class passengers.
The new trains will no longer require engine changes, and Amtrak said they will be able to reach speeds of up to 125 mph, though state Department of Transportation spokesperson Eva Zymaris acknowledged that train speed is sometimes limited by the track.
"The New Haven Line is an older railroad with many curves, which ultimately restricts speeds through our state," she said.
The fastest a train can reach in Connecticut is a 125 mph section on Shore Line East. There is a section on the Hartford Line on which a train can reach 110 mph.
The new Airo trains will first enter service this year on the Amtrak Cascades line, serving the Pacific Northwest corridor between Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, BC. They will enter service on the Northeast Regional in 2027.
Amtrak last year added NextGen Acela trains to the Northeast Corridor.
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