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,” […]
Beyond the raised hat in the foreground, SP’s L. P. Hopkins, Utah Gov. Herbert Maw, and UP’s E. C. Schmidt stand with the just-removed “Last Spike,” undoing 73 years of history. Often called “Promontory Summit,” the location was simply “Promontory” to SP and in the Official Guide. Classic Trains collection Removing the Transcontinental Railroad’s last […]
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. […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Bay Area Rapid Transit engineers are conducting “a comprehensive forensic evaluation” to determine what caused a shutdown of the BART system on Saturday. The Saturday morning outage began about 6 a.m.; service was not fully restored until about 11 a.m., the San Francisco Chronicle reports. BART’s preliminary report is that the closure […]
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 […]
WASHINGTON — Ridership for the DC Metro rail system has dropped below an average of 600,000 weekday trips — the lowest figure since 2000, before the original system was completed. The Washington Post reports that the number of average trips for the period between July and December was 595,000, a significant fall from the 2008 peak […]
Amtrak Hiawatha trains meet at Rondout, Ill., in January 2018. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has included $45 million for expanded Hiawatha service in his proposed budget. TRAINS: David Lassen MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has included $45 million for expanded Amtrak Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago in his proposed budget, Wisconsin Public Radio […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain, the San Francisco-area commuter rail service, will institute a bikes-board-first policy at all stations on Monday, March 11. The procedure allows riders with bicycles to board first on designated bike cars after exiting passengers have disembarked. Other passengers are encouraged to board at non-bike cars to avoid having to wait. Caltrain […]
Spectacular bridges are one of the features of the Chepe Express trip through the Copper Canyon region. Chepe Express The full-height windows are one of the key features of the Terraza lounge car which brings up the rear of the train. The windows can be opened when weather permits. Chepe Express CHIHUAHUA, Mexico — The […]
Amtrak P32 No. 713 leads train 290, the Ethan Allen Express, south out of Albany-Rennselaer toward New York Penn Station. The track coming in from the lower right is where trains from Pittsfield would arrive, and then, with a new engine, head south. Dan Kittay PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An effort to establish “one seat” train […]
