Amtrak issues information request for eventual scrapping of Amfleet cars

WASHINGTON — The end may not be near — given Amtrak’s current, chronic capacity shortage, exacerbated by last spring’s sudden withdrawal of the Horizon coach fleet — but the company has begun the lengthy process of selling off its most productive and enduring assets: stainless steel Amfleet coaches and cafes that began arriving from the Budd Co. 50 years ago.

This week, Amtrak issued a Request for Information “to solicit public interest in the procurement” of 370 coach and 58 business-class “Capstone Converted” Amfleet I passenger cars, 75 “Cafe class” Amfleet I cars, and 11 former Metroliner cab control coaches. However, finding applicants to operate the cars and prolong their life is not the intent. The RFI obtained by Trains.com says the project “supports two of our primary disposition tactics, being the sale and scrapping of Amtrak’s legacy equipment to prospective buyers.” Questions are to be submitted by the end of next week; formal responses are due by Dec. 5.

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. 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.

Timely acquisition

Authorized by the company’s first president, Roger Lewis, in October 1973, the initial purchase of Amfleet rolling stock to replace inherited hand-me-downs came as a Middle East war caused an “energy crisis” that emptied gas pumps. It was, in retrospect, one of Amtrak’s watershed moments. The all-stainless steel tubular design could be executed quickly by Budd because it was based on the self-propelled Metroliners constructed for the Pennsylvania Railroad with government support in the late 1960s. Congress funded deliveries during Amtrak president Paul Reistrup’s administration from 1975 through 1977 of what would become multiple orders totaling 492 cars. It’s ironic they replaced post-World War II lightweight equipment deemed worn out and obsolete that had operated no longer than 25 years.

The fact Amfleet’s longevity has survived more than twice that duration is a credit to Amtrak’s support of skilled craftsmen at the company’s Bear, Del., Heavy Maintenance Facility. The cars’ interiors have been sliced and diced over the years. Space in what were initially four cafe configurations, for instance, went through endless modifications through the locomotive-hauled Metroliner and Acela eras. Over time, coach capacity was adjusted for seat pitch, often to increase it. The dizzying renumbered of the fleet to reflect variations over the years is outlined on the “On Track-On Line” website.

That compendium shows that primarily because of accidents, 13 of the original 492 Amfleet I cars are no longer rostered as active or inactive, so there is a discrepancy in the number the RFI says are to be scrapped. That so many have survived so long is a testament to the cars’ sturdiness and resilience through a commitment to regular overhauls at Bear.

The much younger, corrosion-plagued Horizon equipment saw problems develop around carbon and stainless-steel welds, leading to its removal in March because of safety concerns [see “Amtrak sidelines Horizon car fleet …,” Trains.com, March 26, 2025]. In contrast, the Amfleet design has withstood the test of time and alteration. In that regard, the cars are reminiscent of Budd-built dining cars Amtrak retired by 2020 and VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian fleet, which continues to soldier on.

Nevertheless, continuing to diligently maintain 125-mph rolling stock is increasingly expensive. Additionally, there is always the possibility that an otherwise-hidden structural weakness may result in an incident which could doom the entire fleet.

The clear intent of this RFI is to solicit proposals for Amfleet’s eventual retirement, rather than enable would-be operators to acquire coaches and cafes for service that might somehow compete with Amtrak’s modern Airo trainsets. How this project moves forward will depend on responses to the RFI and subsequent RFP, balanced by the continuing need for Amfleet equipment to provide capacity and facilitate route or frequency expansion.

Single-level long distance procurement advances

Meanwhile, virtual “one-on-one” meetings are supposed to be taking place this month between Amtrak and carbuilder respondents to a request for proposals issued in early August for new single-level long distance equipment.

The 20-page document on Amtrak’s website contains a laundry list of about 50 instructions to “offerors,” explaining that “Amtrak intends to purchase a base quantity of cars based on the daily service it provides on its North American operational routes, including spares. Amtrak anticipates an order of 160 cars; however, this quantity may vary per offeror.” Proposals are due Jan. 9, 2026, followed by manufacturing site visits and a notice of award, with consummation of contract targeted for some time in 2026.

The common thread between the 1970s Amfleet, current Airo order, and future single-level, long-distance investments is that they are all big-gulp, one-off procurements. North American intercity passenger rail still lacks annual guaranteed funding that would provide a predictable financial foundation, which would allow carbuilders to develop a sustained production model without the inherent risks present in bidding on big projects. Such a risk might also apply to companies seeking to tackle Amfleet’s impending demise.