WASHINGTON — Amtrak has difficulty in identifying and addressing issues of drug and alcohol use among its employees, “a longstanding challenge for the company,” Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General says in a new report. The report issued Wednesday summarizes the following issues with the company’s program for employees in “safety-sensitive positions:” — Testing requirements were […]
ROME, N.Y. – Locomotive horns blew at 11:01 a.m. on Friday in Rome and across the Amtrak network to honor former President and CEO Joe Boardman who died March 7 following complications of a stroke. A moment of silence was held at 11 a.m., followed by the sounding of a former F40PH locomotive horn mounted […]
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a board meeting May 21, 2019, at 1 p.m. to determine the probable cause of the fatal Dec. 18, 2017, Amtrak Cascades accident near DuPont, Wash. Three passengers were killed and 65 others including passengers, crew, and occupants of highway vehicles were injured when Amtrak train No. […]
HOLLAND, Mich. – See five million blooming tulips, not brake lights and toll booths, this May 4 and 11 when Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation offer additional service between Chicago and Holland for the annual Tulip Time Festival. These trains on the daily Pere Marquette route, sponsored by MDOT, will run on two […]
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) is requesting detailed answers from Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson about February’s signal failure at Chicago Union Station. More than 100,000 Amtrak and Metra passengers had trips disrupted by the Feb. 28 signal problems at Chicago Union Station. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — The chairman of the House subcommittee on railroads is […]
Stephen Gardner of Amtrak explains details of the storm-damaged North River Tunnel beneath the Hudson River during a Jan. 28, 2019, inspection trip for elected officials. Two congressmen are introducing legislation requiring the federal government to have a contingency plan in case of a tunnel failure. Pool photo/Ed Murray, New Jersey Advance Media for NJ.com […]
WASHINGTON – The Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a deceased passenger on Amtrak train No. 92, the northbound Silver Star, at Washington Union Station on Monday, WUSA-TV reports. Police do not suspect any “criminal activity” took place. Passengers continuing north were accommodated on another train. The Silver Star operates daily between Miami […]
LA JUNTA, Colo. —Even as Amtrak withheld money related to a federal grant for improvements on the route of the Southwest Chief, engineering work for the project began. And in the wake of the death of former Amtrak president Joe Boardman, stakeholders are more determined than ever to obtain the funding needed to complete the […]
DULUTH, Minn. — After a day of meetings with local officials, an Amtrak executive promised Monday that the passenger railroad is “going to deliver” on proposed service between Duluth and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Joe McHugh, Amtrak’s vice president, state-supported business development, told the Duluth News-Tribune that the proposed 152-mile, 2 ½-hour Northern Lights Express is “in the […]
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s proposed 2020 budget calls for refocusing Amtrak on routes of less than 750 miles and would slash discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation by 21.5 percent, a decrease of $5.1 billion. “Simply put, Amtrak trains inadequately serve many rural markets while not serving many growing metropolitan areas at all,” […]
DULUTH, Minn. — Amtrak officials are scheduled to be in Duluth today and tomorrow for meetings about proposed passenger service between Duluth and the Twin Cities. The Duluth News Tribune reports that Joe McHugh, Amtrak’s vice president, state-supported business development, will meet with Duluth-area officials today and elected officials at the State Capitol in St. […]
The funeral service for former Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman will be held Friday. Bob Johnston ROME, N.Y.—Services for former Amtrak president Joseph H. Boardman have been announced. Visitation is to be held this Thursday, March 14, in Rome, N. Y. from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Barry Funeral Home, 807 West […]
