RENO, Nev. — At 11:19 a.m. Pacific Time Friday, a tractor-trailer gravel truck traveling at a high rate of speed on U.S. 95 at Ocala, Nev., about 70 miles east of Reno, barreled into the side of the westbound California Zephyr. The truck struck the left-hand side of the Zephyr behind the two locomotives and […]
Railroad: Amtrak
Amtrak’s 40 years in New England
Connecticut resident Bob LaMay has been photographing Amtrak in his native New England since the carrier turned its first wheel in 1971. We present a small sampling of his work over the decades. For more on Amtrak’s 40th anniversary, pick up the July 2011 issue of Trains magazine, which looks back on the five biggest […]
Willamette bound
Amtrak train 301, a Seattle-Eugene, Ore., Cascades Service train, kicks up snow as it zips through East Olympia, Wash., on Nov. 23, 2010. F59PH No. 468 is pulling the distinctive Talgo equipment that serves passengers in the corridor. Jeffrey T. Schultz photo […]
TRAINS exclusive: Amtrak police chief bars Transportation Security Administration from some security operations NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — In late February, the Transportation Security Administration took over the Amtrak station in Savannah, Ga., and thoroughly searched every person who entered. None of the passengers got into trouble, but the TSA certainly did — big time. Amtrak Police Chief John O’Connor said he first thought a blog posting about the incident was […]
Amtrak terminates William Crosbie, chief operating officer; abolishes position NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — Today Amtrak announced the elimination of the position of chief operating officer, saying in an internal advisory to employees that current COO Bill Crosbie “will be leaving Amtrak” today, Oct. 22. The directive added that operating vice presidents previously reporting to Crosbie would now report to president Joseph Boardman. “Bill has made important […]
Renting cars at train stations: inside tips and information
Enterprise is among the tenants at Amtrak’s Fort Worth, Texas, station, one of just 19 train stations in the U.S. and Canada with rental car counters. Even at these locations, most counter hours are limited and advance reservations are required. Bob Johnston If you need to rent a car as part of your next Amtrak […]
Empty Amtrak roomettes go begging
An Amtrak conductor in Denver Union Station checks in passengers heading east on the California Zephyr, Sept. 2, 2008. Bob Johnston Many Amtrak conductors and sleeping car attendants are eager to help Amtrak maximize revenue by letting coach passengers know when their train has unsold roomettes and bedrooms available. As Trains’ July 2010 Passenger column, […]
An Amtrak special move
An Amtrak special move, with private car Ohio River at the back, rolls along Canadian Pacific’s former Delaware & Hudson main line on Sept. 4, 2009. The train is on its way from Albany, N.Y., to Railfest 2009 in Scranton, Pa. Jim Conroy photo […]
Texas Eagle charges through Terrell
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle for Chicago charges through Terrell, Texas, on Oct. 14, 2008. Photo by Steve Schmollinger […]
Amtrak station volumes in 2007
Across the country, the stories play out simultaneously on a weekday morning: Two businessmen headed for the 8:03 Boston-bound Acela Express dive into the crowd at New York’s Penn Station; a cluster of Purdue University students shuffles down the platform at Lafayette, Ind., for a ride on the Hoosier State to Chicago; and a conductor […]
Amtrak trains on May 1, 1971
Trains Magazine looks at passenger trains per day across the United States in its May 2010 issue. Our “Map of the Month” compares today’s train volumes with those Amtrak was running on its first day of operation, May 1, 1971, and what was running the day before. Check out the May issue and see which […]
Amtrak restores ‘Lake Shore’ dining car NEWSWIRE
NEW YORK — Amtrak will replace modified café cars on its Chicago-New York/Boston Lake Shore Limited with “Heritage” dining cars, beginning with westbound train No. 49 today, Dec. 14. The cars, operating to and from New York, feature booth-style seating, large picture windows, and modern cooking equipment, and an expanded menu will result. “Putting dining […]
