Portland rail riders got a first look Sept. 26 at the trains that will replace the aging Amtrak Cascades fleet.

An Airo trainset traveled from Everett, Washington, to Albany, Oregon, stopping briefly at Portland Union Station for a public preview, as first reported by KGW. Passenger service begins Wednesday, Sept. 30, making Pacific Northwest riders the first in the country to board the new fleet.

The Airo trains carry about 300 passengers, up from roughly 250 on the Talgo Series 8 coaches they replace. Riders will find more space for baggage and bicycles, larger windows, improved Wi-Fi, USB-C charging ports at every seat, and a redesigned cafe car with hot and cold prepared drinks. Six large restrooms feature touchless controls, and the trains include dedicated accessible seating with automated steps.

"This is really elevating the travel experience … This isn't a car where you're going to get stuck in traffic. This isn't an airplane where you're going to have to squeeze in next to someone," said Derek Maier, senior director of the Amtrak Airo Program, at the Saturday preview.

Two trainsets start running Wednesday, with a third held in reserve. OPB reported the initial schedule: Train 503 departs Seattle for Eugene at 7:10 a.m. and returns as Train 508 at 4:30 p.m. Train 516 runs Seattle to Vancouver, B.C., at 8:30 a.m. and returns as Train 519 at 4:45 p.m.

The Cascades corridor has been running at reduced capacity since March 2025, when Amtrak pulled dozens of 1980s-era Horizon coach cars nationwide over corrosion problems. Oregon ridership hit a record 161,899 in 2024 but fell 6 percent to 152,429 in 2025, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation's annual passenger rail report.

The added seats matter. Charles Hamilton, executive director of the advocacy group All Aboard Washington, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle on Sept. 18 that existing trains regularly sell out on Fridays and Sundays. He predicted the first Airo runs would book up fast.

The new trains will not cut travel times. The freight-dominated corridor caps speeds at 79 mph, and Oregon and Washington transportation officials are in the early stages of updating the Cascades long-range plan to study what track improvements, siding extensions and signal upgrades would be needed for faster, more frequent service.

Siemens Mobility manufactured the Airo trainsets in the United States, using components from suppliers in 31 states. The fleet is part of a $7.3 billion nationwide replacement program. Six more trainsets are expected on the Cascades corridor through early 2027, eventually retiring all older equipment on the route.