Seattle’s Airo Trains Promise A Fresh Take On Travel Nostalgia

If you're of a "certain age", there's a certain Amount of romance to the concept of taking a train ride. Overnight train rides were a big thing in the movies. For me it goes as far back as “Some Like It Hot” and “From Russia with Love”. Slightly more recent movies like “Silver Streak” also come to mind. 

More recently, an action-comedy movie from 2022 called “Bullet Train” removes any kind of romantic mystique of train rides. But I'm getting a little excited about the possibility of taking a ride on an Airo Train. 

According to axios.com,
‘Seattle is a step closer to getting new, faster Amtrak trains. Construction has begun at Amtrak's Seattle maintenance facility to help launch the company's new Airo trains, which can travel 125 miles per hour.
The trains — which promise faster and more comfortable rides — are set to debut first on the Amtrak Cascades route, which connects Seattle to Portland and Vancouver B.C.’ 

This really sounds like something I'd like to try. The whole idea of travelling from Seattle to Portland at 125 miles an hour appeals to me.  

In order for the Amtrak Airo Trains to be put into service they'll need to make a $300 million improvement to the train maintenance facility, stretching it another 600 feet in order to accommodate the train's length. Unlike older train systems the Airo train can't separate to change or add cars. 

The train system will not go into operation until the end of next year which means I'm going to have to wait for my romantic train experience, But I am still looking forward to it.

High-speed Amtrak Airo trains start Seattle prep - Axios Seattle 
amtrak_AIRO_01a.rev 
Trains are roaring back in the Pacific Northwest - Axios Seattle 
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