Amtrak adds color coding to railcar paint scheme

Amtrak adds color coding to railcar paint scheme

By Trains Staff | March 6, 2025

| Last updated on August 6, 2025


‘Phase VII’ design on cars will include colors to denote coach, business, or first class

Two Amfleet coaches show the new color coding for entry doors on Amtrak passenger cars. Amtrak/Matt Donnelly

BEAR, Delaware — Amtrak is adding color coding at the entries to its railcars to guide passengers to the correct location to board its trains.

The first cars introducing this system — which uses green near the doors to denote coach, blue for business class, and red for first class — were to be released from the Bear, Del., maintenance facility on Monday, March 3, the company said in a press release today (March 6, 2025).

The new feature is part of the “Phase VII” design, introduced on new Siemens Charger ALC42 locomotives and and added to some P42 units, that is now being introduced on other rolling stock. Amtrak says the design “seamlessly adapts” to equipment with full-body paint, as well as stainless steel cars with graphic treatment along the window line. Equipment will be updated with the Phase VII design as they are serviced. The company offers a history of its paint schemes here.

— Updated at 5:40 p.m. CT with larger version of original image and addition of second photo.

low-angle view of two passenger cars
Amfleet I and II coaches show of the Phase VII paint scheme at the Bear, Del., maintenance facility. Amtrak/Matt Donnelly
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