Trails and Rails offerings on Amtrak routes set for 2023

Man speaking into microphone on train

WASHINGTON — Eleven Amtrak routes in 2023 will again feature commentary about the regions the trains are passing through. The program, staffed regionally with volunteers sponsored by National Park Service historical sites, monuments, and national parks, began in 2000 and has enriched journeys aboard many long-distance trains. There were cutbacks in 2018 when Amtrak stopped […]

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More Midwest Venture cars enter service; California still waits

Train with four matching Siemens Venture passenger cars

Second of two parts CHICAGO — The introduction of Venture business/coach cars on some state-supported Amtrak routes in the Midwest reflects an increase in availability of the Siemens-built equipment, delayed by a variety of production and acceptance issues. Meanwhile, there is still no firm date for the introduction of California’s Venture equipment, although a spokesman […]

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Slide suspends Seattle-Portland ‘Cascades’ service through Friday

Train at station platform

SEATTLE — Amtrak Cascades between Seattle and Portland, Ore., remain suspended through Friday, April 14, while BNSF Railway crews clear a mudslide that has kept passenger trains from operating since Tuesday. Portland-Eugene, Ore., and Seattle-Vancouver, B.C., trains have continued to operate, while the Coast Starlight to and from Los Angeles has been turning at Portland. […]

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Venture business-class cars debut in Midwest: Trip report

Interior of business-class car

First of two parts  CHICAGO — After being delayed for several years by production setbacks and acceptance issues, the first of 17 state-owned Siemens Venture business-class cars are now hosting passengers on Midwest Amtrak routes. They are not being advertised, however, and you only need a regular coach ticket to ride the cars. They feature […]

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Virginia seeks additional funding for Long Bridge project

Aerial-view rendering of bridge across river

RICHMOND, Va. — The cost of a second rail bridge over the Potomac River — a key part of Virginia’s plan for major expansion of Amtrak and commuter-rail service on the I-95 corridor south from Washington, D.C.— has risen substantially, leading to a $389 million shortfall, the Washington Post reports.= The new two-track Long Bridge […]

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The Lionel F40PH

Lionel F40PH Panama Canal front end

The Lionel F40PH is a great model of a locomotive that has quietly become one of the true diesel success stories in railroad history. The F40PH saw construction in various phases by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division between 1975-92. Its purpose was initially short-haul passenger service for Amtrak. This mission was quickly revised to add long-distance […]

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