Amtrak updates fleet strategy plan

Amtrak has issued an updated fleet strategy plan for replacing both conventional and high speed rail passenger equipment, re-emphasizing that its current fleet is nearing an average age of 26 years.

The update, following an initial report issued last year, reflects the current state of the fleet, programs that are underway, and changes in the larger business environment, Amtrak says.

Last year Amtrak awarded two major equipment contracts. One is for 130 single-level cars to replace the oldest cars in the fleet and provide increased capacity for long-distance trains. The other is for 70 electric locomotives to replace all those now in use on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridors to improve reliability and support future service expansion.

The updated plan also provides more detail on the recent Amtrak announcement that the railroad intends to begin procurement in fiscal year 2012 of 40 additional Acela Express cars to increase capacity on all 20 existing high-speed trainsets, if funding is identified—a potential problem given current pressure to reduce the size of the federal budget, augmented by hostility toward Amtrak that has resurfaced in recent months.

New to the plan, Amtrak says, is discussion about development work now underway to support more frequent Acela service with the acquisition of a new fleet of high-speed trainsets to expand Amtrak’s premium service.

There is also an extensive update on the work of the Next Generation Equipment Committee, a partnership between Amtrak, states, the Federal Railroad Administration and industry participants. The group has generated specifications for new corridor equipment including a bi-level car, a single-level car and a high-speed diesel locomotive. Amtrak will use these specifications in coming rounds of equipment procurement.

The plan provides Amtrak with a flexible and adaptable strategy to fleet development to meet demand for service now and in the future, and support the growth of a domestic manufacturing base vital for the success of intercity passenger rail in America.

The plan will be posted on Amtrak.com under the Comprehensive Business Plan section.