USA: Amtrak has issued a request for proposals for a ‘once-in-a-generation, multi-billion-dollar’ procurement of double-deck rolling stock to replace its Long Distance fleet.
The RFP was informed by the responses to a request for information issued in December 2022.
Amtrak is soliciting offers from established companies with experience of successfully designing and manufacturing vehicles for the North American passenger market. Once a supplier is selected, final design, development and production would be undertaken over several years with fleet deliveries planned to begin in the early 2030s.
The new stock would enable Amtrak to offer ‘an updated product that meets current and future market expectations’, with an enhanced customer experience, better accessibility and greater operational efficiency.
‘We believe in the future of our Long Distance service’, said the national passenger operator’s Chair Tony Coscia when the RFP was issued on December 22. ‘A new Amtrak Long Distance fleet will help us modernise and transform the service to meet the needs of customers now and into the future.’
The Federal Railroad Administration ‘firmly believes that inter-city passenger rail service, including Long Distance service, has an important role to play in America’s transportation network’, said Administrator Amit Bose. ‘Millions of Americans depend on Long Distance service annually as a transportation alternative to congested highways and airports, and they deserve a modern, safe, and convenient experience.’
Rail Passengers Association President & CEO Jim Mathews said ‘this RFP kicks off what will be the biggest rolling stock acquisition since the 1940s, when the New York Central turned to three manufacturers for a blockbuster order for more than 700 cars’.
