Siemens Venture is a type of locomotive-hauled passenger railroad car built by Siemens Mobility for the North American market. The cars are derived from the Siemens Viaggio Comfort cars used in Europe, with adaptations for North American operations. The cars entered service with Brightline in 2018 and with Amtrak Midwest (services funded by Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin) in 2022. They have also been ordered by Amtrak for national and other state-supported routes (including those in California, Washington, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, Virginia, North Carolina, and Vermont), Canada's Via Rail, and Ontario Northland. The Venture cars will also be used on Amtrak’s Airo trainsets.
History
The Venture dates to 2014, when All Aboard Florida purchased five trainsets for its new Brightline service along with ten Siemens Charger SCB-40 diesel-electric locomotives. They were built at the Siemens factory in Florin, California, starting in July 2015. The first trainset was completed in December 2016. Public operations began on January 13, 2018.In November 2017, a coalition of states with state-supported Amtrak routes ordered 137 Venture railcars through its contractor Sumitomo Corporation. The order included seven trainsets for California and 88 cars for Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri (Amtrak Midwest) as married pairs and single coaches. The Ventures were the coalition's second passenger railcar order; the first order of Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Cars was cancelled after the prototype, built by Sumitomo's subcontractor, Nippon Sharyo, failed a buff strength test in August 2015. The first three Venture cars entered testing in February 2020. They were originally planned to enter revenue service in July 2020 but were delayed, not making their first run until February 1, 2022, on a Lincoln Service train.
On December 12, 2018, Canada's national passenger rail service operator, Via Rail, announced that it was purchasing 32 Venture trainsets to replace the entire fleet used on its Québec City–Windsor Corridor. The first trainset was delivered for testing in 2021. They are expected to enter service in 2022–2024.
In August 2019, the state of Wisconsin used a Federal Railroad Administration grant to purchase six Venture coaches and three cab cars. The six coaches will be added to the Amtrak Midwest pool while the three cab cars will be used exclusively for Hiawatha Service trains.
In April 2021, Amtrak announced that they will be ordering 83 trainsets to replace the aging Amfleet I fleet and Metroliner cab cars. The contract was signed in July 2021 and includes 20 years of after-delivery service and support. On October 13, 2023, Siemens unveiled their Venture car prototype for the new Amtrak Airo equipment.
Operators
Most Siemens Venture cars (except those for Amtrak Midwest) are configured as semi-permanently coupled trainsets with open gangways between cars and standard couplers on the ends for connecting the trainset to locomotives or other railway equipment.
Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak has ordered eight six-car Venture trainsets for the Cascades service. They are replacing the Talgo Series VI trainsets, which the NTSB recommended be replaced "as soon as possible" after the 2017 Washington train derailment. Until the Venture trainsets arrive, Amtrak has been using its Horizon fleet on the route.
Each trainset will consist of five coaches and one cab car. Trains will also have a café for food service along with coach and business class seating. They will be paired with one of WSDOT's Siemens Charger locomotives. The first trainset is scheduled be delivered in 2025 and enter revenue service in 2026 after final commissioning.