Amtrak Rolling Stock

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.

The railroad is currently working to replace its fleet, spending $2.4 billion on 28 ''NextGen Acela'' (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.

Current

Locomotives

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 the United States.

Passenger cars

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.

Train sets/

multiple units

Business cars

Amtrak business cars.jpg, Three of Amtrak's business cars on the back of the ''Blue Water'' in 2011: the ''Pacific Cape'', ''Ocean View'', and ''Beech Grove''
American View (17299648602).jpg, Amtrak's American View business and inspection car

In addition to its regular fleet, Amtrak owns several business and track geometry cars:
* #10001 ''Beech Grove'', an "Amfleet office car" 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 two 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 ''Acela''-based track geometry car. It is periodically inserted into an ''Acela Express'' consist 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.
* #10004 ''American View'', a Viewliner-based "inspection car" 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, a 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 formerly owned by Union Pacific, now converted for Amtrak 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 three 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 eight seats around a large table, two medium-sized semi-private conference sections with four seats around a table and two small semi-private conference sections with two seats around a table). At one time, the car 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 below)''.

Locomotives

Trainsets

Passenger cars

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.

Former (inherited)

Locomotives

Amtrak San Joaquin east of Martinez, May 1974.jpg, EMD E9 "A" and "B" units with the '' San Joaquin'' in 1974
Amtrak San Francisco Zephyr.jpg, An EMD FP7 leading the ''San Francisco Zephyr'' in 1975
Amtrak No 904.jpg, GG1 #904 westbound at Harrison, New Jersey in June 1975
Amtrak train at Grand Central Terminal, March 1991.jpg, An EMD FL9 #486 at Grand Central Terminal in 1991
Illinois Zephyr at La Grange Road, July 1975.jpg, EMD E8A #315 leading the ''Illinois Zephyr'' in 1975

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.

Trainsets and multiple units

Amtrak Black Hawk in Hillside, July 1975.jpg, Budd RDC #15 on a ''Black Hawk'' service in 1975
Southbound Amtrak Metroliner with cab car 880 at Bowie, December 1980.jpg, Budd Metroliner cab car #880 leading a ''Metroliner'' service in 1980

Passenger cars

Generator cars

In its early years, Amtrak also rostered some generator cars rebuilt from older locomotives and rolling stock.

See also

* Amtrak paint schemes
* Budd SPV-2000, Connecticut-owned diesel multiple units which Amtrak operated in the 1980s–1990s

Notes

References

*

External links

Amtrak Photo Archives

Fleet Revitalization Plans, Page 3

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United States railway-related lists
Amtrak