The Oregon Department of Transportation (Odom) is to buy two new 13-coach Talgo passenger trains for $36.6 million, using federal stimulus money, for delivery in 2012. They will be used in the corridor between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver (Canada), supplementing five existing Talgo trainsets. Washington state owns three of these, and Amtrak owns two.
The two additional trains – updated versions of trains presently serving the North-west – will be assembled at a new Talgo plant in Wisconsin. Most components will be American-made.  Amenities are to include WiFi capability, a food and beverage car, a business class section with roomier seats, and baggage car bicycle racks.
Although the corridor’s current top speed is 125km/h, the new trains are designed to run up to 200km/h. They are suitable for hauling by any diesel-electric locomotive.
Amtrak’s “Cascades” and long-distance train services have a positive effect on the economy, according to Odom. Each year they purchase $1.2 million worth of goods and services and sustain 73 Oregon jobs paying $4.77 million in wages.
Eventual expansion of Portland-to-Eugene service will mean adding more jobs and purchasing more goods and services.
Since 1994, ridership has increased 823% on “Cascades” trains. In Oregon, more than 186,000 passengers rode the trains in 2008.
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Original article [Railways Africa]