NEW YORK —Amtrak service between New York and New Haven has been restored as of 2 p.m. after unscheduled track repairs, the passenger operator said in a 2 p.m. ET post on its website. Newsday, in a paywalled article, reports the problem was a broken rail in the Bronx. This would fit with the supposition […]
Railroad: Amtrak
First rebuilt Amtrak train wash facilities ready soon: report
WASHINGTON — The Rail Passengers Association has learned from Amtrak that construction of four new or refurbished facilities to wash trains at originating terminals will finally become operational this summer and fall. The building at New Orleans will be activated before the end of July, and the facility at Boston’s Southampton Street yard is set […]
Amtrak National Limited service through the years
Amtrak National Limited service began operation on May 1, 1971, linking New York City and Washington, D.C., with Kansas City. It carried Nos. 30-31. The route roughly paralleled that of Interstate 70, which links Baltimore and Kansas City. The name was a nod to a Baltimore & Ohio train serving Washington and St. Louis, but […]
A look at Amtrak’s Northeast day-trip services
More than any other region in the United States, the Northeast arguably provides the best experiences and opportunities for intercity travel by rail. Travelers can avoid heavy traffic congestion as well as the hassle of air travel, plus Amtrak offers multiple daily frequencies between key cities in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Whether you’re […]
Lack of equipment leads to cancellation of Southwest Chief round trip
CHICAGO — The lack of stand-by operational Superliners at Amtrak’s Chicago maintenance facility led to the cancellation of the westbound Southwest Chief on Monday, July 15, less than five hours before it was to depart, Trains News Wire has learned. With additional equipment unavailable on the West Coast, the eastbound Chief scheduled to leave Los […]
Amtrak awards contract for East River Tunnel repairs
NEW YORK — Amtrak has awarded a construction contract for major rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, the connection between Manhattan and Queens that sustained major damage from floodwaters during 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. The East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project will demolish all existing tunnel system down to the liner before completely restoring the two tubes […]
First look: Midwest states’ Venture coach-café debut
CHICAGO — The first of 17 Venture coach-café cars built by Siemens for Midwest States has finally debuted on one daily Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service round-trip. Trains News Wire sampled the new entry out of Chicago to Bloomington-Normal, Ill., last week on train No. 305, a 5:20 p.m. departure. The trainset returns the next morning […]
New York begins work to replace aging Albany rail bridge
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state has begun work on a new rail bridge across the Hudson River in Albany to replace a structure with portions dating to 1865, and also awarded funding to tear down a deteriorating, vacant warehouse that led to interruptions of rail service in 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced today. The […]
Significant delays, cancellations disrupt Amtrak’s network
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s stretched-thin and aging fleet is encountering significant challenges to reliability across the entire system this week as national network trains remain sold out for many segments. Sunset cancelled With Tropical Storm Beryl causing widespread flooding in the Houston area early in the week, Amtrak truncated the eastbound Sunset Limited at San Antonio, […]
Amtrak may be planning to combine Capitol Limited and Silver Star: Analysis (updated)
WASHINGTON — Circumstantial evidence gleaned from Amtrak’s booking site portends mid-November changes to the operation of the Chicago-Washington, D.C. Capitol Limited and the New York-Miami Silver Star. A Trains News Wire review of ticketing availabilities on the two trains indicates tentative plans to combine their operation as a single-level Chicago-Miami train. Doing so would allow […]
Officials sign off on $6.88 billion grant for Gateway Tunnel
NEW YORK — Officials signed off on a $6.88 billion federal grant Monday for the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway Tunnel project — the largest single federal grant ever for a transit infrastructure project, and part of $11 billion in federal money for the $16 billion project to build two new bores under the Hudson River between […]
Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner derails; no injuries reported (updated)
WASHINGTON, Mo. — No injuries were reported when Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner derailed this evening (Monday, July 8), KSDK-TV reports. All cars remained upright. Amtrak said in a statement that the train hit a tree on the tracks at about 4:55 p.m. CT, derailing the locomotive’s rear axle. There were 124 passengers and five crew […]