Amfleet

Amfleet
Corrugated silver tubular rail cars with red, white, and blue striping
Amfleet I coaches at Kingston station, Rhode Island
Amfleet I coach seats
Amfleet I coach seats
In service1975–present (Amfleet I)
1981–present (Amfleet II)
ManufacturerBudd Company
Built atPhiladelphia, PA
Family nameBudd Metroliner
Number built
  • 492 Amfleet I
  • 150 Amfleet II
Number in service
  • 445 Amfleet I (October 2023)[1]
  • 135 Amfleet II (October 2023)
FormationSingle car
Fleet numbers
  • 25000–25124 (Amfleet II coach)
  • 28000–28024 (Amfleet II diner-lites)
  • 43344–43397 (Amfleet I full dinettes)
  • 48140–48196 (Amfleet I club-dinettes)
  • 81501–81547 (Amfleet I business class)
  • 82500–82999 (Amfleet I coach)
CapacityUp to 84 seats
OperatorsAmtrak
Specifications
Car body constructionStainless steel
Car length85 ft 4 in (26.01 m)
Width10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Height12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Floor height51+12 inches (1.31 m)
Platform height
  • 17 inches (430 mm) (low)
  • 51 inches (1,300 mm) (high)
Doors
  • Amfleet I: 2 pairs end doors, automatic operation
  • Amfleet II: 1 pair end door, manual operation
Maximum speed125 miles per hour (201 km/h)
Weight106,000–113,000 pounds (48,000–51,000 kg)
Power supply480 V AC
HVACElectric heat and air conditioning
BogiesBudd Pioneer
Braking system(s)Pneumatic, 2 tread and 2 disc per axle.
Coupling systemAAR type H
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Amfleet is a fleet of single-level intercity railroad passenger cars built by the Budd Company for American company Amtrak in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Budd based the Amfleet design on its earlier Metroliner electric multiple unit. An initial order for 57 cars in 1973 to supplement the Metroliners on the Northeast Corridor grew to two orders totaling 642 cars, sufficient to reequip all the services on the Northeast Corridor and many other routes around the United States. The first 492 cars, known as Amfleet I and completed between 1975 and 1977, were designed for short-distance service. A second order of 150 cars, known as Amfleet II and completed between 1980 and 1983, were designed for long-distance service. They were the last intercity passenger cars built by Budd.

Car types include both long- and short-distance coaches, cafes, club cars, and lounges. Since the construction of the cars, multiple rebuildings have eliminated the club cars and lounges in favor of business class cars, club-dinettes, and "diner-lite" dining cars. Amtrak experimented with sleeping car conversions in the 1970s, but did not pursue the idea. The Amfleet I has vestibules on both ends of the car for faster unloading, while the Amfleet II has a single vestibule. The Amfleet II also has slightly larger windows.

The Amfleets were the first new locomotive-hauled intercity cars ordered by Amtrak and the first such cars built in the United States since 1965. Their introduction in the mid-1970s led to improved reliability for Amtrak's trains and ridership gains. As of 2023, Amfleet cars are used extensively in the eastern and midwestern United States, forming the backbone of Amtrak's single-level fleet, with 580 out of the original 642 in service as of October 1, 2023.[2]

  1. ^ "Amtrak FY24-29 Five Year Service and Asset Line Plans" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Amtrak FY24-29 Five Year Service and Asset Line Plans" (PDF).