Understanding Amtrak’s Latest Equipment RFI

by Sean Jeans-Gail | VP of Gov't Affairs + Policy

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Many of our members reached out to Rail Passengers to hear our thoughts on the Oct. 31 Trains’ article about Amtrak’s Request for Information (RFI) on the sale and scrapping of over 500 railcars from its pool of legacy equipment.

“With 83 Airo trainsets set to replace the Northeast Corridor and regional workhorses starting in 2026, the Request for Information will eventually lead to Request for Proposals and contracts,” reported Trains’ Bob Johnston. “At the same time, Amtrak is continuing the RFP process for replacement of Budd-built, long-distance Amfleet II coaches and cafes that date from 1981.”

[Johnston’s piece also includes a nice overview of the development and operation of the Budd cars for those looking for historical context.]

The RFI outlines the specific quantity and type of equipment that Amtrak is looking to offload:

• 370 Capstone Converted “Coach Class” passenger cars
• 58 Capstone Converted “Business Class” passenger cars
• 75 “Café Class” passenger cars
• 11 Former Metroliner Cab Control Coach cars

Many of our members expressed concern that Amtrak will be scrapping equipment that is structurally sound while equipment shortage plague corridors across the country. A few members who’ve been paying attention to Rail Passengers’ blueprint for reauthorization wondered if this equipment could be refurbished and added to a National Equipment Pool, which states could utilize for new services or additional frequencies..

Mechanical Viability and Maintenance Costs

There are several larger questions that would be helpful in evaluating this RFI:

• What work has Amtrak done to evaluate the structural integrity of the cars in question?
• Is the RFI based upon an evaluation of the structural integrity of the cars, or the allocation of limited resources—both financial and manpower—needed to keep this equipment running?
• If an operator was interested in using these cars for operations, would Amtrak be open to selling it to them for those purposes?

Rail Passengers has reached out to Amtrak for comment and will share their answers when we receive them.

Like many issues facing U.S. railroading, there are structural roots to the problems we currently face. As Johnston cautions in his article, North American intercity passenger rail has been over reliant on “big-gulp” procurements. A predictable, dedicated source of federal funding for intercity rail would allow equipment manufacturers to develop a sustained production model without the inherent risks present in bidding on one-off mega contracts.