Passenger Trains > Amtrak Siemens Venture car route use

I have observed the new Amtrak Siemens Venture cars in use in my various trips around the country. Is there any chance or plans to use these types of cars on the Pacific Surfliners to supplement or even replace the current bi-level Surfliner cars in use on that route? I recall seeing a consist of Horizon Fleet cars and NPCUs used on the Surfliner route for a while. Thanks in advance for your information.

Ntrainfan

I sure hope they DON'T wind up on the Surfliner route.

My personal experience with these cars was a 5 hour trip from Chicago--St. Louis last summer..

This might sound ironic but, I found the cars exteriors are beautiful to look at -- and they ride like a dream (superior, really)
But, they are uncomfortable to ride in -- because of the awful seats (total Yuck!).  And. the seats don't line up with windows.

Some fans think the seats are ok -- so you will have to make up your own mind about them.  And, a short trip on a Surfliner 
in these seats might be tolerable.

I don't think Caltrans will have Amtrak order Siemens Venture Cars for the Pacific Surfliner route. However, there is already a set of Siemens Venture Cars running on the San Joaquin route and in the short term, the plan is to have all of the San Joaquin trains using the Siemens Venture Cars. There have been mixed reviews of the seats in the Siemens Venture Cars.

Aren't some of the northern California cars supposed to be shifted south to be supplemental Surfliner cars ? 

Yes they are. In fact, there are a couple of them already running on the Surfliner. It sounds like most of the excess California Cars that come off of the San Joaquin will stay on the Capitol Corridor. Amcal and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority is letting Amtrak restore trains from the prepandemic timetable so any California Cars in the inventory will be needed.

Ntrainfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have observed the new Amtrak Siemens Venture
> cars in use in my various trips around the
> country. Is there any chance or plans to use these
> types of cars on the Pacific Surfliners to
> supplement or even replace the current bi-level
> Surfliner cars in use on that route? I recall
> seeing a consist of Horizon Fleet cars and NPCUs
> used on the Surfliner route for a while. Thanks in
> advance for your information.

Let me clarify some information.

There are currently 7 areas where the Siemens Venture cars are/will be used and the cars for each area/owner are dedicated to that area/owner and will not move from that area/owner.

• Cascades between Oregon and Washington. I am not sure if they are owned by Oregon and/or Washington and/or Amtrak
• Midwest fleet. These are owned/controlled by Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin. 
• San Joaquins. These are owned/controlled by California
• Brightline. These are owned/controlled by Brightline in Florida
• Ontario Northland. These are owned/controlled by Ontario Canada and Ontario Northland RR
• Via Rail. Owned and controlled by Via Rail in Canada
• Amtrak Northeast Corridor. These are owned/controlled by Amtrak

So no, none of them will appear on the Pacific Surfliners. 

My understanding is that all of the Cascades Venture cars (actually called "Airo" cars, I believe), will be owned by Washington state. 

Yes, the Siemens Venture Cars that are assigned to the Cascades will also be called "Airos." In addition, the successors of the Amfleet Is and Ex-Metroliner Cab Cars on all of the corridor routes on the East Coast will be named "Airos." This includes all of the Amtrak corridor trains that run on the NEC plus any extensions of them(Northeast Regionals continuing onto Virginia, the Palmetto, the Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, and Vermonter). The Valley Flyer(New Haven, CT to Greenfield, MA) will use the Airos as well as any future Inland Route trains running to Boston by way of Hartford, Springfield, and Worcester). The "Airo" Sets will also be used on the Downeaster runs. The Airos that are assigned to the Amtrak trains that run on those runs will have an ALC-42E locomotive along with an Auxilary Power Unit that will have the pantograph and coach seating.

The state supported trains that run on the Empire Corridor like the Empire Service, the Maple Leaf, the Ethan Allen, and the Adirondack will use "Airo" Sets as well. There will be a difference. Unlike the sets that run on the NEC for more than a few seconds, the Airos that cover any of the routes that serve Empire Corridor Stations and continue to Quebec and Ontario and Vermont will be diesel/battery powered. I believe that the first car behind the locomotive will have the battery unit. The battery will basically be applied in NYP and then through the narrow passageways before turning to diesel power outside. I don't think they will have a 3rd rail pickup shoe.

The Cascades will be getting Airo cars. These will be powered by the current SC-44 Charger units. I believe that some additional Charger units will be ordered. The Airos on the Cascades will replace any of the Talgos still running plus send the Horizon Cars elsewhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/24 13:38 by Passfanatic.