Amtrak to resume train service out of Vancouver as replacement cars arrive | Daily Hive

Amtrak/Facebook

Amtrak is resuming some of its regularly scheduled train service out of Vancouver this week after it had to suddenly pull its entire fleet of ageing Horizon cars out of service on March 26.

The U.S. federally chartered train company announced Monday that a replacement fleet of Amfleet I trains is on its way to the Pacific Northwest along the Empire Builder line from Chicago to service the Cascades route.

“Some train cars have already arrived, while others are on their way,” Amtrak said in a social media post. “The goal is to quickly restore all trips, but with a limited number of cars on each train.”

The first trains to arrive will get to work on routes #516 and #519 between Vancouver and Seattle. Later this week, the next trains will begin servicing routes down to Portland.

Amtrak/Facebook

Amtrak had to unexpectedly take its entire fleet of Horizon trains out of service earlier this month because of corrosion issues. That meant all but one train servicing the Cascades region was taken off rails. Nearly all of Amtrak’s daily scheduled trips to 18 stations between Vancouver and Eugene, Oregon, were impacted.

Amtrak secured buses to replace the routes through March 30, and this week, train service will be implemented on the routes again.

“As additional train cars arrive over the next week, they will quickly be entered into service, with trains replacing the buses that are currently running,” it said.

Amtrak added customers should consider booking trips in advance to secure a seat during the transition.

“It is uncertain how long this limited seating will remain in place. For future travel plans, book your travel in advance due to limited seating options until our routes are fully operational.”

The Amtrak route from Vancouver down to the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest region is popular. The Amtrak Cascades line set a ridership record in 2024, boarding 985,000 passengers that year. Work is also underway to build a customs pre-clearance facility at Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station to remove the stop at the U.S. border.

The Cascades route was already set to receive new trains — but not until 2026. Siemens is building a brand-new fleet of Amtrak Airo trains at its California manufacturing facility. Those trains will replace most of Amtrak’s existing fleet across the U.S., including the Cascades route servicing Vancouver.

Have you been impacted by the Amtrak changes? Let us know by emailing vancouver@dailyhive.com

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