WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has selected 10 projects for grants under its Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program, according to a list released today (Friday, Dec. 8) on the FRA website. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the grants in a press release that linked those awards with the selection of […]
Railroad: Amtrak
Federal grant to upgrade Empire Builder route in Montana
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway will receive a federal grant for $14.9 million toward infrastructure improvements in and around Malta, Mont., U.S. Sen. Jon Tester announced Thursday. The money, from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, is to improve service on the route of the Empire Builder. Specifically, it will help with final […]
Routes from Chicago join list of selections for FRA Corridor Identification program
WASHINGTON — Ten more routes — almost all of them radiating from Chicago — have joined the list of those selected for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, according to announcements today from a variety of sources. Selection, the first step in the process of gaining or increasing Amtrak service, […]
Slide activity extends Amtrak closure between Seattle, Portland
SEATTLE — Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland, Ore., remains suspended following a second landslide on the route, KIRO-TV reports. Service had been slated to resume at 8:30 a.m. today (Thursday, Dec. 7), but additional slide activity now means that the closure has been extended through Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:22 a.m., according to an […]
Pittsburgh-Harrisburg route improvements to receive $143.6 million federal grant
WASHINGTON — Infrastructure improvements to accommodate a second daily round trip of Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pa., will receive more than $143 million in federal funding, the state’s two U.S. senators have announced, while the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia corridor is among those selected for the Corridor Identification and Development program for a study of increased […]
Service cuts on Connecticut’s Shore Line East to begin Dec. 18
NEWINGTON, Conn. — Planned service cuts for Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter service, which have been delayed during an Amtrak maintenance project, will take effect Dec. 18, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced. Previously, Shore Line East service had included 23 trains per day; under the new schedule it will see 16 trains per […]
Legislators announce selection of nine more passenger routes for FRA Corridor ID program (updated)
Five routes in Wisconsin — including both the state’s existing Amtrak lines, which seek increased service — are among those selected for the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program, according to members of Congress across the country. Selection provides funding for studies that are a prelude to new or expanded Amtrak service. In […]
Chicago Union Station to receive more than $93 million for upgrades
WASHINGTON — Chicago Union Station will receive a $93.6 million grant for modernization, part of the Chicago Hub Improvement Program outlined earlier this year by federal, state, local, and Amtrak officials. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (all D-Ill.), announced the funding today (Wednesday, Dec. 6). Money will come […]
Raleigh-Richmond passenger project to receive $1 billion grant
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is set to award a $1 billion grant for development of a new passenger rail line between Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va., using CSX Transportation’s partially abandoned S-Line freight route between the two cities, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced on Tuesday. Tillis called the project “a big win […]
North Carolina, Ohio corridors lead list of those receiving FRA grants for possible new Amtrak routes
WASHINGTON — Seven routes in North Carolina and four serving Ohio are among those to receive funding to study possible future Amtrak service under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program, according to announcements today (Tuesday, Dec. 5) by members of Congress, as well as one mayor. At least 14 corridors have been […]
Amtrak service suspended between Seattle, Portland, Ore., after landslide
PORTLAND, Ore. — Amtrak has suspended service between Portland and Seattle through at least 8:30 a.m. on Thursday following a landslide today (Tuesday, Dec. 5) near Vancouver, Wash., according to a service alert posted by the passenger operator. The suspension of Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight service between the two cities follows a slide on […]
News photos: ‘Cardinal’ offers fleeting view of small-town celebration
CROZET, Va. — “Surprise and delight” is language public-relations gurus routinely apply to whatever they are promoting, though you never know when it will actually occur while looking out the window of an Amtrak passenger train. Last Sunday, Dec. 3, it happened aboard the Chicago-bound Cardinal about 12 miles west of Charlottesville, Va., on the […]