Everybody loves a good redemption story. For Amtrak, redemption comes in the form of its brand new Airo fleet. Amtrak placed a massive order with Siemens in 2022 to replace the bulk of its short- and medium-distance rolling stock, representing a complete reset of Amtrak’s passenger experience. The Pacific Northwest Cascades route was first to place the new Amtrak Airo trainset into service, and your author just happened to be in Seattle for a test ride a few days after the launch. Amtrak has tinkered with and upgraded its legacy equipment over the years, sprinkling refreshed seats here and upgraded Wi-Fi there, but there’s a practical limit to what Amtrak could accomplish with half-century old equipment. The few chances Amtrak had to start from scratch in recent years with the Venture coaches in the Midwest and NextGen Acela, have largely been #PaxEx misses. Airo represents a total rethink, not just a touch up. The exterior of the trainset is sleek, bringing forward the paint scheme and integrated cab car of the odd looking but iconic Talgo trainsets from the 1990s. Before even boarding, new exterior digital signage confirms the direction and ultimate destination of the train, helping to inform infrequent riders. Unlike Amtrak trainsets of the past, stepping on board Airo is a pleasant experience. The national passenger railroad company has eschewed the use of bare stainless steel and opted for thoughtful finishes with integrated lighting. There are 'easter egg' surprises throughout, including a water bottle refilling station, digital seat assignment indicators in Business (with assigned seating coming to Coach) and a new seat recline mechanism. An unannounced feature that is undergoing testing on the new Cascades Airo sets is the addition of Starlink connectivity to the Wi-Fi mix, as confirmed by an Amtrak employee on board my train who was testing the connection. Full #nosetotail trip report: runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/1… By Jason Rabinowitz for RGN