MONTREAL — Some Amtrak trains are sorely in need of an advocate. A recent Trains News Wire round trip to Montreal underlines that today’s Adirondack has none. It remains a hapless victim of indifference on the part of multiple overseers who show little inclination to make the train the unique and attractive transportation choice it […]
Railroad lingo What is the railroad’s lingo? Utilized mostly by railroaders, it’s a way of speaking among co-workers that involves using railroad terminology, jargon, slang, or argot. Common lingo can vary from one group of individuals to another. Not born of this world, I’ve struggled to understand some of the language the railroad professionals use […]
TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Milton is still 700 miles from Florida’s coastal railroads, but the storm’s rapid strengthening from a weekend tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane has freight railroads on high alert, and Amtrak is already canceling most of its Florida service for the week. Amtrak’s southbound Silver Star No. 91 and Silver […]
WASHINGTON — It’s more expensive than ever to get into a bedroom or roomette on Amtrak’s overnight long-distance trains — if the accommodations are available at all on the preferred travel date. Coach passengers also endure high prices and sellouts when their destination is served by a once-daily, limited-capacity train that has an especially busy […]
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak broke ground Friday to mark construction of its new heavy maintenance facility at Philadelphia’s Penn Coach Yard, a $462 million project slated for completion in 2027. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose, and Samantha Silverberg, White House deputy assistant to the President for infrastructure, were among those on […]
NEW YORK — Penn Station must be expanded to accommodate future traffic, according to Amtrak and the commuter railroads using the Manhattan rail hub. That is the conclusion of a report — commissioned by Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — released Wednesday after studying alternatives to expansion. The report determined that the […]
SEATTLE — Amtrak has awarded a construction contract for upgrades to its King Street Yard in Seattle, meant to prepare the facility for arrival of next-generation Amtrak Airo equipment for the Amtrak Cascades route as well as improving maintenance for long-distance trains that use the facilities. PCL Construction Services will lead design and construction on […]
ATLANTA — Operation of Amtrak’s Crescent has been suspended between Atlanta and New Orleans because of a bridge issue on Norfolk Southern’s main line near Slidell, La. The Amtrak Alerts feed on X.com reported on Monday, Oct. 1, that the southbound Crescent that left New York on Sept. 30 was being terminated in Meridian, Miss., […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s governor has signed legislation giving the state more authority in managing the LOSSAN Rail Corridor, the route of Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, as well as Metrolink and Coaster commuter trains. SB 1098, sponsored by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), allows the state’s secretary of transportation […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is increasing the risk of cost overruns and schedule delays on Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel project because it has not completed all necessary planning as the start of major construction approaches, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General says in a report released Tuesday, Oct. 1. Major construction is slated to begin this […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has named Byl Herrmann as execute vice president and general counsel, responsible for the long-term priorities and annual operating plan for the company’s legal department. “Byl has helped guide the evolution of Amtrak’s Law department and corporate development over many decades and brings a comprehensive and deep knowledge of all facets of […]
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Communities along the former Southern Railway and Clinchfield Railroad in western North Carolina have seen record-setting rainfalls in the days prior to Hurricane Helene. Now, tropical weather is pouring additional rainfall into the area, creating what local meteorologists are calling a once-in-a-generation storm. Places along NS’ former Southern S-Line on the French […]
