Amtrak will delay the start of the construction on the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation project by two weeks after learning the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) East-Bound reroute project is delayed. The three-year project calls for repairing two of the tunnel’s four tubes, which were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with one tube removed […]
WASHINGTON — The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing on nominees for Federal Railroad Administration administrator and the last remaining open seat on Amtrak’s board of directors. The hearing for FRA nominee David Fink, Amtrak nominee Robert Gleason, and two other officials — David Fogael, assistant secretary of commerce, and Pierre Gentin, general counsel […]
WASHINGTON — Details have yet to emerge regarding how much money the Trump Administration and Congress might be willing to appropriate for Amtrak in Fiscal 2026, beginning on Oct. 1, 2025. Amtrak is not mentioned in the $163 billion of “non-defense discretionary spending” budget cuts in the spending plan released today (May 2, 2025) — […]
PHILADELPHIA — A former Amtrak information technology official and two vendors have been indicted in a bribery case involving millions of dollars of Amtrak IT work. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Richard Thompson, 47, of Falls Church, Va., was Amtrak’s former director of network planning and engineering. He […]
PHILADELPHIA — The owner of an Indiana masonry contractor has pleaded guilty to two federal charges in connection with a bribery case involving renovations at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Mark Snedden, 69, of Munster, Ind., on Wednesday (April 30) entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and making […]
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon’s legislature has passed a bill seeking to expand the state’s collaboration with Washington state and other entities to improve passenger and freight rail operations in the Cascades Corridor. HB3233 was passed by a 16-12 vote of the state Senate on Tuesday, April 29, after the House passed it by a 44-12 […]
WASHINGTON — Responding to criticism on a number of fronts, Amtrak President Roger Harris said the company’s plan for repairs to New York’s East River Tunnel is “the safest, most efficient, reliable, and timely to complete the full rehabilitation … making it the best use of taxpayer investments.” Harris, in a three-page letter dated May […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for Amtrak to revise its plans for East River Tunnel repairs in light of cuts to Empire Service operations that began on Monday, as well as concerns about the impact on Long Island Rail Road commuters. Also, one of New York’s members of Congress has […]
Summary: This article discusses riding Amtrak’s Palmetto, which runs an 829-mile route between New York City and Savannah, Georgia. It highlights the Palmetto‘s unique characteristics as a long-distance train without dining cars or sleeping accommodations. The article also delves into the train’s history, including its origins in 1976, its various route changes and service adjustments […]
NEW YORK — After two reprieves, Amtrak service changes on its Empire Service route north of New York City are set to begin on Monday, April 28. The schedule revision will see suspension of one round trip: train No. 238, an 11:40 a.m. departure from Albany, and No. 235, a 3:15 p.m. train from Penn […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and service on two Metrolink commuter lines will see disruptions starting this Monday, April 28, as the Surf Line is closed in San Clemente to allow for emergency repairs. The work is expected to last approximately six weeks. For the Pacific Surfliners, modified service will continue between San […]
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin led the list of officials on hand Thursday (April 24, 2025) for groundbreaking on the New River Valley Rail Project, which will allow extension of Amtrak service from Roanoke, Va., to Christiansburg. When that service begins, it will be the first time the New River Valley has had […]
