Sounds like they need more cars so they can expand seats on LD trains. With the recent order of new cars, will they be using them to increase capacity or simply replace older cars being retired?
Pretty much both, although it depends on the age & state of the equipment being retired, according to the recently updated V2 of the Fleet Strategy Plan which can be found at Amtrak document webpage:
http://www.amtrak.co...=1241245669222. Amtrak is getting some increase in capacity with the stimulus wreck repairs to put 60 Amfleets and 21 Superliner cars back into service. 20 of Amfleet Is are cafe cars that are being converted to coach cars so that will increase coach capacity that they did not have before.
But there is no big order for coach cars at the moment. The equipment orders have been for 130 Viewliner 2s for the eastern LD fleet and 70 electric locomotives, which are their most immediate needs. Amtrak needs more funding to buy new rolling stock. California, Illinois, NC have received funding to buy rolling stock, so if Illinois teams with CA to buy bi-levels, Amtrak may team with them to buy bi-levels for the western and mid-West routes. In the Fleet Strategy plan, the priority purchases in the coming years are replacement of 145 Amfleet IIs, 250 Superliner Is, 40 Acela cars to expand the Acela trainsets, develop a new diesel locomotive. But these are years away from service, and only if Amtrak and the states can get funding to buy more rolling stock. In the meantime, enjoy riding on the "empty" trains because nobody rides trains anymore in the US.