Amtrak is spending $7.3 billion on hybrid power trains.
The taxpayer-subsidized rail company is contracting with Siemens, which will manufacture the eighty-three trains in Sacramento, California.
According to Amtrak’s press release:
The latest trains will feature more comfortable seating, individual power outlets and USB ports, onboard Wi-Fi, enhanced lighting and panoramic windows, larger vestibules, a more contemporary food service experience, including self-service options, as well as state-of-the-art customer trip information, digital seat reservation system and navigation display systems. The trains were designed with the latest health and safety standards, including enhanced HVAC, touchless restroom controls, and automated steps.
Amtrak touted the trains’ multi-power systems, which will permit “a substantial environmental benefit through reduced criteria pollutants compared to the existing fleet.”
“These new trains, some of which will be our first hybrid battery operations in the United States, will transform the way Americans travel,” remarked Siemens executive Michael Cahill. “Over the past decade, we’ve worked closely with Amtrak and its state partners to develop and deliver trains that meet the needs of America’s travelers, these next generation trainsets build on that experience and offer much more.”
“Based right here in Sacramento for 30 years, this Siemens facility is one of the largest such plants on the continent and one of the most sustainable, and this new contract cements California’s leadership in clean transportation and reducing carbon emissions,” added Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).- READ MORE
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