Last week, Amtrak withdrew its entire fleet of Horizon cars due to corrosion issues. The 70-car fleet makes up the majority of the Borealis, Hiawatha and Cascades fleets, with a smattering on other routes.
Amtrak is already in the depths of an equipment shortage stemming from a variety of causes, such as shortsighted layoffs and layups during COVID and issues getting new equipment in service in a timely manner. While Minnesota is ostensibly part of the Midwest equipment pool — a consortium of states that own their own equipment, which is then leased back to Amtrak — we’re a latecomer, and as such the new Borealis route to Chicago has relied heavily on these legacy Horizon cars.
In the short term, Amtrak will scrounge for every last bit of useable equipment they can find, and whatever gaps they can’t plug will be filled by buses. Already, the Borealis has been re-equipped by technically-more-plentiful Superliners. Hopefully, the overall hit will be small once inspections are completed and repairs made, but there’s a distinct possibility a good chunk of the fleet is permanently lost.
In the long term, Airo trainsets will start entering service in 2026, first on the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest (which is bearing the brunt of this embargo) and slowly making their way to other corridors, but not to Minnesota. We’re stuck with hand-me-downs until either the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) makes a move or waits for Amtrak to provide us with something better.
This could either be adding additional Venture options through the Midwest equipment pool, partnering with the Airo program or going our own way. While much riskier, I’d like to take the road less traveled.
What Is a Talgo?
Talgo is a railcar manufacturer headquartered in Madrid, Spain, that is most well known for its passive tilting technology that allows for higher speeds through curves. If you’re familiar with how former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker killed the state’s higher-speed rail initiative, these were the trainsets that were going to be used there.
A few sets were/are used on the Cascades route as well. They have a unique, low-slung design with shorter and wider cars than typical North American Rolling stock. There have been a few different series over the years, numbered in order based on development date, with the only current U.S. offering being the “Talgo 8” series.
Each car is suspended like a pendulum on each wheel, instead of resting on top of a bolster. When these cars enter corners, they have a natural tendency to tilt inward, instead of outward. This is known as “passive tilt” and allows for higher speeds and a smoother ride.
Why Talgo?
It’s not uncommon for the Borealis to sell out with its current consist (meaning the locomotive and cars that make up the train). Average daily ridership is consistently higher than the total seat count. It’s also lacking in baggage space, and bike storage is completely absent.
All of these problems can be fixed with any new equipment, but here are a few niche reasons why I think Talgo’s the right choice.
- The tracks along the Mississippi are incredibly wiggly. The maximum speed between Red Wing and La Crosse is only 65 miles per hour, and the rest of the route isn’t arrow straight either. Tilting would allow for higher speeds, which could shave about 15 minutes off end-to-end times compared with traditional equipment.
- Talgo is the only rail-car manufacturer that doesn’t have a multi-year backlog.
- The company’s factory and headquarters are in Milwaukee, only a short distance off the Borealis’ route.
- The PNW Talgos were and are a staple of the Cascades brand, helping drive ridership.
- They just plain look cool, except maybe that cab car, both inside and out.
Of course, there are some risks. Talgo has built only four complete trainsets in the United States, plus spares, the last of which was completed in 2013. The company mostly handles refurbishments these days.
I don’t know if they have the supply chain to build new equipment, or how long that might take to spin back up. Furthermore, the tilting design does increase complexity and, therefore, maintenance requirements. Still, I think it’s worth looking into. The worst they can say is no.
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