Amtrak operates a fleet of 2,142 railway cars and 425 locomotives for revenue service and railroad operations, collectively referred to as its rolling stock. Notable examples include the GE Genesis and Siemens Charger diesel locomotives, the Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive, the Amfleet and Viewliner series of single-level passenger cars, the Superliner series of double-decker passenger cars, and 20 Acela Express high-speed trainsets. In addition, Amtrak operates 196 locomotives and railcars that are wholly owned by its state partners.
The railroad is currently undertaking a fleet replacement effort, 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. Separately, California and a consortium of Midwestern states have purchased Siemens Venture trainsets for use on Amtrak-operated routes within their regions; these began entering service in 2022. In 2023, Amtrak issued a request for proposals to replace hundreds of bilevel railcars used on long-distance routes, and a similar proposal for single-level long-distance railcars was issued in 2025.
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.
Business cars
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 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
Passenger cars
Generator cars
In its early years, Amtrak also rostered some generator cars rebuilt from older locomotives and rolling stock.
See also
Notes
References
External links