As Amtrak slowly but surely makes progress on overhauling its high-speed and regional trainsets with NextGen Acela and Airo, respectively, a recent RFP shared by user Paniolo Man on the AmtrakTrains.com forum has shown for the first time Amtrak’s vision for modern single-level long distance coaches.

Most of Amtrak’s long distance network utilizes bi-level Superliner coaches which themselves are overdue for replacement, while the East Coast long distance network utilizes single-level Amfleet coaches for its coach and business class seating. These coaches are in need of replacement and were not included in the Airo order that is just now entering the testing phase.

While the forthcoming NextGen Acela and Airo do bring a new experience to Amtrak passengers, they will not be used on longer overnight routes out of New York City such as the Lake Shore Limited train to Chicago and Silver Services to Florida. This represents Amtrak’s first opportunity in decades to rethink its long distance coach class experience.

Amtrak’s vision includes three variations, with different fits and finishes to match: a high-capacity car exclusively for the busy Northeast Corridor initially, a more plush standard car for long distance overnight services or business class on the corridor, and a café car for use on either corridor or long distance services.

High-Capacity Coach

The high-capacity car features 70 seats pitched at 37 inches in a 2-2 configuration, with one mobility position, plus one standard restroom and one accessible restroom.

The vision document includes renderings of seats that closely resemble what Amtrak is currently installing on the Siemens Venture and Airo trainsets, but with a few feature additions such as cup holders, a mobile device stand, and subtle winged headrests.

The document claims that high-capacity seats will feature “modest recline,” though it’s unclear if that comes in the form of actual recline or a forward-sliding seat pan as Amtrak has fitted on its Venture coaches.

Standard Coach

The standard, more premium coach includes 62 seats pitched at a higher 42 inches, also in a 2-2 configuration, with the same accessibility and restroom arrangement.

Amtrak’s current long distance seat is legendary for its ample 50-55 inches of seat pitch and legrest, so a drop down to 42 inches is quite notable. When used for business class on the Northeast Corridor, the 2-2 configuration will represent a step down from Airo’s planned 1+2 configuration.

What is lost in seat pitch compared to Amfleet, however, may be made up for with a much more fully featured and modern seat.

The concept document describes the standard seats as sporting “plush cushions, tailored ergonomics, a recline optimized for sleep, privacy wings, an adjustable headrest, pillow, and a leg rest…”

The seat closely resembles an airline premium economy offering, with integrated device holders, USB ports, cup holders, and leg rest. The standard seats are shown to have generous recline, another important feature brought forward from its Amfleet heritage.

Café Car

The café car concept houses 25 seats in a 1-2 layout, owing to its 32” wide aisle to support end-to-end accessibility.

Thankfully, Amtrak is seemingly not content to waste the opportunity to utilize the wider seat space. The vision document asks RFP respondents to optimize that additional seat width to “explore how this extra width might enhance the café experience, whether through refined seating or smart integration of surrounding elements.”

Throughout the three car types, Amtrak has broken free of its sterile stainless steel obsession and incorporated a blue/grey theme for soft materials, while hard surfaces benefit from deeper colors and oak wood and marble laminates. Even vestibules receive a glow up, sporting digital wayfinding and a design “crafted to feel more like a hotel lobby.”

While Amtrak’s vision is by no means a representation of a finished product, it provides a glimpse into what Amtrak is considering for its future experience. An experience that will have to stand the test of time for decades just as its predecessor has.

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• Why Amtrak Acela First Class feels like poor value
• Amtrak seeks to differentiate Acela with new enhanced menu
• Brightline gives Amtrak a run for its money on Orlando-Miami
• Amtrak divulges fresh details about Airo passenger experience
• Amtrak’s fleet modernization plan includes historic firsts

All images credited to Amtrak