By now any of us who monitor rail industry news has probably heard of the abrupt withdrawal from service of Amtrak's entire Horizon car fleet:

https://media.amtrak.com/2025/03/amtrak ... izon-cars/

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... ellations/

https://www.facebook.com/railfanmag/pos ... 9B1boCdhsl

I've been advised by an industry insider that it's likely the entire remaining fleet will be withdrawn from service permanently. I've also had it suggested that IF Amtrak does decide to liquidate the fleet, that these cars should NOT be pursued for operational reuse--the corrosion damage may be THAT severe. (Think in terms of certain "historic" car fleets that essentially vanished into rust piles instead of seeing reuse as tourist RR cars, or were used for a spell but then were scrapped--for example, the PRR MP54 series and the LIRR "Ping-Pong" cars.)

Stay tuned for further developments. I'm contacting another couple folks for confirmation.

The Horizon cars are the intercity version of NJ DOT/NJT's Comet cars, initially built in 1967 to replace Erie Stilwell, DL&W steel open platform and other ancient cars on E-L's diesel lines in NJ. Carbodies are aluminum and center sills and platforms steel. These dissimilar metals will corrode by electrolysis unless kept apart.

Multiple non-NJ agencies have them.

Phil Mulligan

Some common sense being shown here regarding the Borealis.
They were going to substitute buses for this train.


https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... perliners/

The Horizon Fleet cars were meant to be a stop-gap acquisition of badly-needed coach stock, which is why they decided on going with the modified commuter cars, as a relatively quick and economical purchase. Clearly, Amtrak got their money's worth out of them with 35 years of service. Get one for museum display, but not for operation, and try and protect it from the weather.

The fact that they shouldn't be run doesn't mean they won't be run. Lots of folks in this business operating cars with severe structural issues. They'll buy them, pull a rail out and call themselves "insular", and run them until they break in two or they get someone killed. FRA can't/won't touch them. Paint them every year so they look like a well groomed amusement park ride. "We can't pull it out of the train for safety reasons! We'll have to refund tickets".

Does anyone know how many Amfleet coaches are out of service awaiting repairs? I saw a video of Beach Grove from the last year or so, there are around two dozen out of service Superliners and around a half dozen Viewliners stored awaiting repairs, but no Amfleet, and I wonder what is available at Bear. They also will be receiving the Superliners back from the Ski Train in Colorado after this week.

The Amfleet backshop is at Bear DE. They have the expertise and tools to do the work.

Phil Mulligan

Are there many out of service cars there that could be returned to service? I have had not much luck finding details on the number of out of service single-level Amtrak cars.

It is interesting to note that the Lackawanna Boonton cars and the Erie Stillwells were in service for more years than the cars that NJ DOT/NJ Transit bought as replacements. Add to that list the CNJ clerestory roof coaches and the Lackawanna MU cars; the 'high' trailers were rebuilt from coaches manufactured in the 'teens. The certainly don't build them like they used to!

Having spent more than a few hours looking at and reading about European passenger operations in recent years it drives me more than a little crazy when we talk about keeping old coach stock going for over 50 years, when most of the wealthier parts of Europe consider anything over about 25 years old obsolete and in need of replacement. I'm so sick and tired of us being poor-mouthed and fighting over crumbs so the roads and airports can get more than their share of transportation money. And I know, Amtrak and really all of passenger rail in this country is threatened by the lunatics running things right now, but hopefully we'll get past this madness and start replacing equipment on a regular and consistent basis. We The People deserve to have a World Class transportation system, and not just let the oligarchs run things into the ground because they can get around in their private jets.

It's now being further reported to me that the crucial issue with the Horizon cars, if I may paraphrase, is that the vestibules, steps, and end sills are ready to fall off the cars on account of the huge amounts of salt/"snow melt" that was repeatedly dumped all over them in the winter months, on account of fears for liability should some passenger slip and fall.

These cars were not built with stainless steel like the Amfleet were. And they mostly saw service based out of Chicago and other "snow belt" areas.

At the very least, it's a good thing that these cars were, mostly, being used as supplemental stock in more recent times with the influx of the Siemens ventures on Midwest routes.

For as much crap as Amtrak gets, the results of this could've ended up far, far worse than what's going on now. They'd be utterly screwed had this occurred 6-7 years ago prior to the midwest ventures.

Four Amfleet coaches and an Amfleet cafe went west on Empire Builder #7 today. I am hearing that 20 unused Sounder coaches (due to Sounder patronage not yet bouncing back) may be used on the Cascades as well.

According to another report I saw there were 12 Amfleet I coaches and 5 Amfleet II coaches stored at the end of 2023.

I also saw a report that the Horizons are being sent to the Alstom plant in New York state for evaluation and possible repair. Platforms/ steps would seem to be a very straightforward repair.

None of this is confirmed, other than the Amfleet on #7.

Saw photos last night of a long string of Amfleet coaches going to Chicago on the head end of a very late Floridian near Ravenna, Ohio the other day. I understand that more went West on the Lake Shore Ltd.

A bit OT, but related to Amtrak's issues, sadly not AI. Friends don't let friends buy locomotives powered by semi-truck engines: https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaScenic ... 267577804/