California can lay claim as one of the nation’s top rail passenger capitals. Amtrak is a key player in the Golden State, with three state-supported regional trains connecting multiple metropolitan areas. From the capital city of Sacramento to the beaches in San Diego, here are some great Amtrak day trips you can take in California. […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Work began Monday on a temporary restraining wall to be built at the site of a landslide that has halted passenger rail service through south Orange County since June 5. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports heavy equipment was being staged at the base of the slope below San Clemente’s Casa Romantica […]
WASHINGTON — “Traditional dining” — with chef-prepared meals, glassware and linen tablecloths, and new meal options — has returned to the Silver Meteor, Amtrak announced today. The announcement means both New York-Florida long-distance trains now offer full traditional full dining-car service — albeit only for sleeping-car passengers — and formalizes the “pilot” of traditional dining […]
NEW YORK — Plans to remodel Penn Station will move forward without being tied to a controversial plan to build adjacent high-rise office buildings, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday. Previously, plans had called for up to $7 billion in funding for the station remodel to come from development of 10 skyscrapers — nine […]
VENTURA, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner Service will offer fare discounts and add an additional late-night train during the three-day run of the X Games action sports event in Ventura, July 21-23. The Surfliners’ Ventura stop is in the parking lot for the Ventura County Fairgrounds, site of the X Games. Ventura is normally served […]
MONTREAL — Following a 47-mile run last week that reportedly took four hours because of a 10-mph speed restriction imposed by Canadian National, Amtrak has suspended operation of the New York-Montreal Adirondack north of Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., as of Saturday, June 24. The Adirondack — the last Amtrak route to return after pandemic-related cutbacks — had […]
TUCSON, Ariz. — A man involved in a shootout on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited in 2021 that led to the death of his accomplice and a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release. Devonte Okeith Mathis, […]
The K-Line O gauge Amtrak F40PH has launched fans of the National Passenger Rail Corp. into heaven. Not only are there a host of toy-like Amtrak engines and cars available, there has also been a virtual explosion of scale and semi-scale gear in the colors of their favorite federal program. If the E8 is a […]
In the Midwest, Chicago stands tall as the railroading capital. In the heart of the city is Union Station, serving as a major passenger terminus for the Amtrak system. While eight long-distance trains stretch out to all parts of the country, the remaining services out of the Windy City operate as short-distance regionals. Most are […]
WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation struck two disparate themes during a hearing today (Wednesday, June 21) for three nominees for Amtrak’s board of directors. One, they remain concerned that President Joe Biden’s board nominees board do not meet a geographic-balance requirement. Two, the desire remains strong on the […]
SEATTLE — Amtrak and BNSF Railway are asking the city of Seattle to close a section of a street near the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark in the city’s Sodo neighborhood to expand the passenger carrier’s maintenance facility and eliminate a busy grade crossing. The Seattle Times reports the proposal would close South Holgate Street, which splits […]
While the California Zephyr name continues today under the Amtrak banner, much has changed since the final run of the streamlined predecessor in 1970. What hasn’t changed since the original 1949 debut is the premise from vintage advertisements to “look up, look down, and look all around” when taking the Chicago-Emeryville, Calif. trip. Especially when […]
