ST. ALBANS, Vt. — An Amtrak inspection trip ran today from St. Albans to Montreal over the normally freight only Swanton Subdivision of both New England Central and Canadian National. Montrealer service ended in 1995 and more than two dozen rail and government officials were aboard the consist of Amtrak P42 101, Amcafe 43371 and […]
Amtrak’s southbound ‘Saluki’ rolls past the Canadian National yard into Champaign, Ill., in Feb., 2015. Bob Johnston ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a U.S. Surface Transportation Board attempt to provide metrics which measure host railroad on-time performance. The action follows a U.S. Supreme Court finding that […]
WASHINGTON – Senators used words like “concerned,” and “dismayed” as they considered the Trump administration’s proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Transportation during a hearing July 13. Members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on transportation were looking at an overall budget that’s been cut $2.4 billion from the 2017 DOT budget. If they were […]
Incoming Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson Delta Air Lines WASHINGTON — Although incoming Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson made a name for himself in the airline industry, he comes from a railroad family. His father, Hale, was an office worker for the Santa Fe in his native Texas. The family followed railroad work from Galveston to Dallas […]
The test train stops at Wichita to allow dignitaries off and on. About 200 people gathered to greet the train, including local newspaper and TV media. Mike Martin WICHITA, Kan. – Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer extension test train brought crowds trackside along the Oklahoma City to Kansas City route on Friday. The train ran from the […]
Amtrak passengers enjoy a leisurely afternoon in the Sightseer Lounge while rolling through Hearne and Palestine once home to the Texas & Pacific’s ‘Texas Eagle’ Longview-Laredo section. Three photos, Bob Johnston LONGVIEW, Texas – “Rare mileage” aficionados have been flocking to Texas since the last week in May to find out if that magic “tingle” […]
PHOENIX — Beginning May 1, Amtrak began operating a Thruway bus connecting service in Maricopa, Ariz., for passengers traveling on the tri-weekly Sunset Limited-Texas Eagle service wanting to travel to the Tempe and Phoenix areas. Stagecoach Express is operating the shuttle service on the days the Sunset Limited operates through Maricopa. Thruway stops include: • […]
Passenger frustration and confusion reigned in early April after emergency track repairs at Penn Station snarled commuter train schedules for five days. Joseph M. Calisi New York Penn Station track diagram Trains Magazine: Rick Johnson NEW YORK — Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman’s April 6 mea culpa laid bare what went wrong in two relatively minor […]
Baltimore’s current rail tunnel alignment Federal Railroad Administration Baltimore tunnel project overview Federal Railroad Administration BALTIMORE — For Amtrak passengers in Baltimore, the Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel is like a jump back to medieval times. The train slows, tunnel walls close in, and take on the appearance of a dungeon, illuminated by occasional lights and […]
Train No. 28, the ‘Empire Builder,’ departs Portland, Ore., on March 15. Brian Schmidt WASHINGTON – A ruling issued Thursday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is likely to be the final decision in a case that dates back to 2010. District Judge James E. Boasberg, an Obama appointee, found the […]
An ongoing chase into Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Range leads Charlie Conway to various mountain canyons. That’s where he discovers Union Pacific freight, long-distance Amtrak trains, and snow-covered roads winding along the Colorado River. […]
An ongoing chase into Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Range leads Charlie Conway to various mountain canyons. That’s where he discovers Union Pacific freight, long-distance Amtrak trains, and snow-covered roads winding along the Colorado River. […]
