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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]

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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.

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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.[1]:48–51

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Train sets/multiple units

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Business cars

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 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.[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.
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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

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Trainsets

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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]

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Former (inherited)

Locomotives

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]

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Trainsets and multiple units

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Passenger cars

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The Ocean View, Amtrak's former dome car, on the Cardinal in 2011.
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Generator cars

In its early years, Amtrak also rostered some generator cars rebuilt from older locomotives and rolling stock.[34]

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See also

Notes

  1. Renumbered from 737 in January 2024. The number 737 is now used by a GP38-3.[3]
  2. 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]
  3. Upgraded to GP38-3 standards by Progress Rail 2022–2023[7]
  4. Originally built as Budd Metroliner electric multiple units; converted to control cars from 1987 to 1988
  5. 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.
  6. Originally built as HHP-8 #661, renumbered 691 upon retirement. Converted between 2021 and 2023 [13]
  7. Originally built for Penn Central Transportation Company and NJDOT as Arrow I electric multiple units. They were converted to Comet IB locomotive-hauled coaches by Morrison–Knudsen from 1987 to 1988, for use by NJ Transit Rail Operations.[14] These cars were purchased by Caltrans in 2008,[15] and after a second rebuild, entered service on the San Joaquins in 2013.[16]
  8. 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]
  9. Originally built for GO Transit rail services as EMD F59PH locomotives; now owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, they were converted to Cab Control Units (CCU) in 2019 for use on the Piedmont.[17]
  10. Single coaches with a traditional gangway at each end. All 20 coaches are in service.[17]
  11. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a cafe car or a business class car. 34 units delivered, with 25 in service.[17]
  12. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a combined coach/business class car. 14 units delivered, with 9 in service.[17]
  13. Married pairs, with a coach attached to a lounge/cafe car. 1 unit delivered, but not yet in service.[17]
  14. Renumbered to 680-694 upon retirement
  15. Later renumbered 480-491.
  16. These units were acquired from NJ Transit in 1987, with the intention of using them for Northeast Corridor maintenance 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]
  17. Converted from locomotives used by Amtrak
  18. Later renumbered to 1290-1295, then to 685-689
  19. Later renumbered to 690-692
  20. Later renumbered 660-665
  21. Later renumbered 666-671
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References

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