NEW YORK — Amtrak has released a shortlist of three consortia to be considered for the renovation of New York’s Penn Station. A post on Amtrak’s procurement portal as of Tuesday, Jan. 20, provides a list of three groups and their lead developers: Grand Penn Partners [Macquarie] Penn Forward Now [Fengate] Penn Transformation Partners [Halmar] […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has added the Floridian and Heartland Flyer to its list of trains canceled because of forecasts of extreme winter weather. Subsequent additions to the list include the Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, and one round trip of the Wolverine. The Chicago-Miami Floridian is canceled in both directions both today and Friday (Jan. 22-23); […]
Although frigid winter weather has played a major role in disrupting service recently on VIA Rail Canada and Amtrak long distance routes, both operators’ lack of readily available reserve passenger cars and locomotives has clearly exacerbated the situation. VIA stretched thin A significant setback occurred last week when VIA’s venerable Vancouver, B.C.-bound Canadian was delayed […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has canceled several long-distance trains in and out of Chicago for multiple days because of a forecast of extreme cold weather. The regional Borealis is also affected. The first cancellations begin today (Wednesday, Jan. 21). The eastbound and westbound Empire Builder departures slated for today through Saturday, Jan. 24, have been canceled. […]
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger has, indirectly, ended a proposal to extend Metrolink commuter rail service from Ventura to Santa Barbara County. In its place, those two counties are now looking at a proposal from the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency that would serve the same desire to create a commuter rail […]
WASHINGTON — Through Tuesday, Jan. 20, Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass, normally $499, is being sold for $250. The pass, on sale here, permits passengers to ride up to 10 trains in coach over a 30-day period, regardless of trip length, so this is an especially good deal for anyone looking to make multiple stopovers traveling […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit will reduce the number of weekday trains between Newark and Secaucus, N.J., from 332 to 178 between Feb. 15 and March 14 for the first phase of work moving traffic to the new Portal North Bridge, officials said during a press conference today (Jan. 15). The outage is […]
ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will add a 13th daily Los Angeles-San Diego round trip on Jan. 26, restoring operation to pre-pandemic levels, the LOSSAN Corridor Agency announced today (Jan. 13, 2026). Added will be a 7:01 a.m. departure from San Diego, arriving at LA Union Station at 9:57 a.m., and a 7:10 p.m. […]
GAVIOTA, Calif. — Train service has resumed on Union Pacific’s Coast Line north of Santa Barbara following a week-long closure because of a washout. Southbound Pacific Surfliner No. 774 left San Luis Obispo as scheduled at 6:11 a.m. local time today (Jan. 13), the first of two daily Surfliner round trips between San Luis Obispo and […]
GAVIOTA, Calif. — Suspensions to Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight service will continue until at least Tuesday, Jan. 13, because of a washout near Gaviota, Calif. According to the Pacific Surfliner website, Union Pacific anticipates reopening the tracks north of Santa Barbara on Jan. 13. In the meantime, the two daily Surfliner round trips to […]
WASHINGTON — Fourteen Democratic senators have asked the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund a major program for passenger rail projects, saying House Republicans have proposed zeroing out that funding. In a Jan. 9 letter to the committee’s chairs, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and ranking members Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and […]
OXFORD, Ohio — The city of Oxford is advancing plans to build a new station to be served by Amtrak’s Cardinal, with the city council having approved plans for a station platform and authorized an agreement with CSX for land for the platform. WUXU Radio reports design for a multimodal facility, also including bus service, […]
