WASHINGTON — Amtrak has extended the deadline for its workers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations to Dec. 8, CEO Bill Flynn said today in a message to employees — and is preparing for possible service reductions if workers leave the company rather than receiving the vaccination. The new date aligns Amtrak’s deadline, which previously had been […]
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senator who has twice before introduced legislation to end forced-arbitration agreements — once in all cases, and once specifically regarding Amtrak — is part of a new legislative effort aimed at the arbitration policy that is part of Amtrak ticket purchases. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) has led introduction of a Senate […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires warned today that the railroad’s train crew shortages may be exacerbated by the federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate that takes effect on Dec. 8. Like CSX Transportation, NS is experiencing higher than normal attrition among its train crews and is having trouble hiring new conductors due to the […]
Silver Meteor The northbound Amtrak Silver Meteor from Miami rounds Honeymoon Wye on the way into Jacksonville, Fla., on June 16, 1976. A single EMD SDP40F leads the consist on this day. Jack M. Turner photo […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board says it will focus on factors including passenger car crashworthiness and survival factors as part of its ongoing investigation of the fatal Sept. 25 derailment of the Empire Builder near Joplin, Mont. In a preliminary report released Tuesday, the NTSB also said it would focus on track and […]
BALTIMORE — Officials from Amtrak, the city of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to mark the start of a $150 million project to redevelop Baltimore Penn station, which will see the structure turned into a mixed-use development including office, retail, and residential and hotel space. WYPR-FM reports Amtrak President […]
PERRYVILLE, Md. — Amtrak’s first two Siemens ALC42 Charger long-distance locomotives, No. 300, in the interim “Phase VI” paint scheme, and No. 301, in the “Day One” scheme, are pulled through Perryville by an ACS64 on Thursday, in a deadhead move from Amtrak’s Wilmington, Del., shops to Washington. From there, they are reportedly headed to […]
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri River Runner, Amtrak’s state-supported St. Louis-Kansas City, Mo., train, is facing a reduction from two daily round trips because of a budget cap imposed by the Missouri Legislature. The $10.8 million limit imposed by the legislature is for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, but that will not […]
WASHINGTON — Unsatisfied with their individual efforts, California’s three entities operating intercity passenger rail corridors announced Wednesday that they have formed a coalition to jointly advocate for their operations. The agencies operating Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliners, and San Joaquin will be linked in an organization known as CIRCLE, an acronym that stands for California’s […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation to take action on two fronts on its pending request for a ruling enabling it to start passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. The company is requesting that the board order CSX and Norfolk Southern to provide access to their properties to prepare for the […]
MARIETTA, Okla. — At least four people were reported injured Friday night when Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer hit a truck carrying automobiles, derailing the locomotive and apparently causing vehicles from the truck to strike one of the passenger cars. A Facebook post from the Love County, Okla., Fire Department reports the auto carrier had become high-centered […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has granted a new extension for the process of addressing Amtrak’s request to require CSX and Norfolk Southern to allow passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. — while cautioning that it will not look favorably on further efforts to delay the process. Amtrak filed the request in […]
