BLET members at the throttle as Amtrak rolls out new Airo trainsets

BLET members kept a steady hand on the throttle as Amtrak rolled out its newest trainsets into passenger service in the Pacific Northwest. In late September, Amtrak introduced brand new Airo trainsets into passenger service on its Cascades route between Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Portland, and Eugene, Oregon.

Division 60 Secretary-Treasurer Mike Gordon operated special trips for media and VIPs on September 26 and 27, running between Seattle and Portland. BLET Division 60 member Wes Duvall, with assistance from conductor (and soon to be Engineer in Training) Alec Chambers, had the honor of operating the inaugural trip for the general public on September 30, running from Seattle to Everett, Washington.

Pat Darcy, General Chairman of the BLET’s Amtrak GCA, emphasized the important contribution that locomotive engineers made to the successful Airo rollout.

“The introduction of Amtrak’s new Airo trainsets into the Cascade service represents an important step forward in modernizing passenger rail. I want to personally thank Local Chairman Christopher Houser and Special Trainer Don Lacey, Jr. for their diligence, professionalism, and commitment in ensuring our membership is properly trained and qualified to safely operate this new equipment. Their efforts reflect the professionalism our passenger engineers bring to Amtrak service every day,” General Chairman Darcy said.

According to Amtrak, this trainset is the first of eight planned for the Cascades route and part of a nationwide rollout that will deliver 83 Airo trainsets across the country.