WASHINGTON — If you thought Federal Railroad Administration grant programs for things like passenger service, shortline track maintenance, and grade crossing elimination projects would be the least likely place to become a front in the culture wars, think again. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Jan. 29 issued a memo ordering Department of Transportation agencies to […]
WASHINGTON — A New Jersey congressmen has introduced a bill first announced last summer that would require Amtrak to provide passengers with ticket refunds when trains are cancelled or delayed “due to a failure of Amtrak.” H.R. 769 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) on Jan. 28 and sent to the House Committee […]
As an entity with 50-plus years under its belt, Amtrak now has plenty of its own history, in addition to that of the trains it took over as of May 1, 1971. Thus, it probably should not have been a total surprise when Amtrak launched a through train service in November 2024 between Chicago […]
ARLINGTON, Texas — A North Texas governmental agency will provide $100,000 to address a funding shortfall for the Fort Worth-Oklahoma City Heartland Flyer. The news site Fort Worth Report says the Regional Transportation Council, a 45-member organization that it part of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, has allocated the money from regional toll […]
LOS ANGELES — After two days of disruptions, train service interrupted by downed power lines between Los Angeles and the City of Commerce is set to resume. Amtrak is showing that the eastbound Southwest Chief departing LA today (Jan. 28) will serve its stops at Fullerton and Riverside, Calif., after two days in which trains […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s rail-related spending — including billions of dollars in funding for Amtrak — appears to be affected by President Donald Trump’s order freezing spending on thousands of federal assistance programs. However, the freeze itself is now on hold following a ruling from a federal judge staying the order while […]
Recent rail union news: — Amtrak dining car stewards represented by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) unanimously ratified a new agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2022 and running through Dec. 1, 2028, that will provide a compounded raise of 40.21% over the life of the contract. Other […]
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern today asked a federal court to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit over the railroad’s handling of Amtrak’s Crescent, arguing that the government’s “extreme” interpretation of passenger train right of preference doesn’t hold water. NS says the Justice Department “complaint depends on the idea that freight railroads must totally clear their tracks […]
BOONTON, N.J. – Construction work in Amtrak’s East River Tunnels will indefinitely sideline the United Railroad Historical Society’s Hudson River Rail Excursions after trips scheduled for February and March with the group’s former New York Central lounge cars. The historical society will operate “Farewell (For Now) Excursions” from New York Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., […]
NEWARK, N.J. — An Amtrak employee has pleaded guilty to participation in a health-care scheme that defrauded the passenger operator’s health plan of more than $11 million. Rodolfo Rivera, 41, of Clayton, Del., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of […]
WASHINGTON — While Amtrak’s string of weather-related cancellations in the Midwest is officially over, the company continues to deal with a pattern of equipment issues on the Northeast Corridor. Six Acela trains have been cancelled to begin today (Jan. 24, 2025) because of “equipment unavailability,” while a seventh has been scrubbed because of mechanical issues. […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s cold-weather cancellations in the Midwest continue to mount, with the cancellations now extending into Thursday, Jan. 23 — seven days after the first trains were cancelled. The newest cancellations, according to an update at 4:20 p.m. ET today (Jan. 21, 2025); an update on Thursday, Jan. 23 has added new information on […]
