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Since 2003, Normal, Ill., business owner Chris Koos has championed downtown development as mayor of the Midwest college town situated on Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service route. He was nominated on Friday by President Joe Biden for a spot on Amtrak’s board of directors, the second time he has been nominated. President Donald Trump nominated […]
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will nominate five people, including current chairman Anthony Coscia, to the Amtrak board of directors, the White House has announced. Reuters initially reported the nominations, citing information from “an official.” Coscia been on the board since 2010, and was elected as its chairman in 2013. He would be joined by […]
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Amtrak will launch seasonal service between New York and Pittsfield as part of a two-year pilot program beginning July 8. The Berkshire Flyer, operating in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, will offer Friday service from Penn Station to Pittsfield via Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y. Return service will operate on Sundays. The Friday […]
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — A third county has approved formation of a new agency to lead efforts to restore rail passenger service between Reading, Pa., and Philadelphia, making official the organization’s creation. WFMZ-TV reports commissioners in Chester County unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday to form the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, following similar approvals […]
HARTFORD — As of Monday, April 25, Amtrak has restored Hartford Line service — between New Haven and Hartford, Conn., and Springfield, Mass., to pre-pandemic levels, the company announced Monday. The move means the return of seven trains — two on weekdays, one on Saturdays, and four on Sundays. The partnership between Amtrak, Connecticut’s CTrail […]
WESTBROOK, Conn. — A Metro-North/Connecticut Department of Transportation Kawasaki M8 electric multiple-unit trainset passes through Westbrook on Saturday, April 23, during training runs for Amtrak crews to operate the equipment. The qualifying runs between New Haven and Old Saybrook, Conn., are reportedly in preparation for use of the M8s on Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter […]
In the fall of 2021, Trains.com staff rode Amtrak train no. 5, California Zephyr from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with the expressed intent of capturing seasonal operations of Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado-Utah excursion. While best known for day treks into the Canadian Rockies, this new Rocky Mountaineer route offers patrons a similar mountain canyon experience […]
ABOARD THE SILVER STAR — It took almost 10 years to complete Amtrak’s latest sleeping-car order. The 25 Viewliner II cars, manufactured by CAF USA in Elmira, N.Y., faced issues with meeting construction specifications before Amtrak agreed to accept them. But the latest arrivals are now operating alongside what had been the newest rolling stock […]
READING, Pa. — Two Pennsylvania counties have agreed to create a passenger rail authority to support restoration of service between Reading and Philadelphia, leaving just one more county needing to approve formation of the authority. The Pottstown Mercury reports commissioners in Berks and Montgomery counties approved creation of the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority on […]
BATON ROUGE, La. — A decades-long effort to create a Louisiana passenger rail corridor between the state capital of Baton Rouge and New Orleans moved a step closer Wednesday when Gov. John Bel Edwards joined Amtrak, federal, and railroad officials on an inspection run along the route. Among those joining the governor, a Democrat, were […]
WASHINGTON — Switching details and conflicting traffic modeling assumptions dominated discussions at the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing into Amtrak plans to launch passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. The seventh and eighth days of testimony and cross-examination, spread over three weeks, on the dispute over plans for two daily Amtrak round trips precedes […]
ORANGE, Calif. — Jason Jewell has been appointed interim managing director of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service in Southern California. Jewell was appointed unanimously by the LOSSAN board of directors, effective April 18, the agency announced Tuesday. He will also continue to serve as chief financial officer, a position […]
