SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The latest landslide interrupting rail service between Los Angeles and San Diego continued on Friday, increasing chances that Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner service between the two cities, and Metrolink service to Oceanside, could face another extended interruption. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the hill continued to slide behind the Casa Romantica […]
Railroad: Amtrak
Santa Cruz, Monterey counties receive funding for rail projects
SANTA CRUZ, Calif — Two counties on California’s central coast have received almost $6 million to advance a pair of rail projects thanks to state funding announced earlier this week. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission was awarded $3.45 million to fund a Project Concept Report for the proposed passenger rail service on the […]
Landslide again halts Metrolink, Surfliner service in California’s Orange County (updated)
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink commuter rail operation in south Orange County has again been interrupted by a landslide in San Clemente — but not at the same location that shut down the line between Los Angeles and San Diego for months. A slight landslide occurred north of Metrolink’s San Clemente […]
Freight customers ask regulators to prevent six-week shutdown of Amtrak line in Pennsylvania (updated)
WASHINGTON — The operators of a pair of Pennsylvania feed mills have asked the Surface Transportation Board to require Amtrak to allow freight service to continue while a six-week maintenance project is under way on its Philadelphia-Harrisburg main line. Amtrak plans to shut Track 1 to all traffic starting next month, which would prevent Norfolk […]
Amtrak crew-qualification train involved in fatal accident in Mobile
MOBILE, Ala. — The driver of a vehicle was killed Wednesday when an Amtrak train performing crew-qualification runs for the upcoming launch of Gulf Coast service struck his car at a Mobile grade crossing. The vehicle caught fire in the collision, damaging the front of one of the locomotives. Police say they believe the driver, […]
Senators challenge Northeast Corridor tilt of Amtrak board nominees: Analysis
WASHINGTON — A simmering impasse over confirmation of nominees for Amtrak’s board of directors has reached a boil, with both Republican and Democratic senators objecting to the makeup of the group advanced by President Joe Biden. At issue is that only one of the six nominees — Normal, Ill., Mayor Chris Koos — represents an […]
Forbes names Amtrak as a top employer for diversity
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has been named one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2023 according to Forbes, which released its list ranking the top 500 companies on Tuesday. The rail passenger operator placed 341st, eighth among transportation and logistics firms. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority was the only other rail-related organization to make the […]
New Haven Union Station deals with bed bugs
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Seating areas at New Haven Union Station are expected to be reopened today (Tuesday, April 25) after being shut down Monday following a report of bed bugs in the waiting room. The New Haven Parking Authority, which operates the station, conducted a deep cleaning with chemicals and compounds on Sunday night […]
Trails and Rails offerings on Amtrak routes set for 2023
WASHINGTON — Eleven Amtrak routes in 2023 will again feature commentary about the regions the trains are passing through. The program, staffed regionally with volunteers sponsored by National Park Service historical sites, monuments, and national parks, began in 2000 and has enriched journeys aboard many long-distance trains. There were cutbacks in 2018 when Amtrak stopped […]
NFL Draft to displace Amtrak passengers from Kansas City Union Station
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Amtrak passengers will be displaced from Kansas City Union Station for five days beginning April 26 as the landmark facility hosts the NFL Draft. Passengers will need to use a shuttle bus arriving and departing west of the station on West 25th Street or face a 15-minute walk to the station […]
Amtrak to regulators: Ongoing tardiness of Sunset Limited demands urgent probe
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has urged federal regulators to investigate the ongoing tardiness of the Sunset Limited, saying the train’s on-time performance this year falls well short of minimum standards. The filing this week with the Surface Transportation Board does not mention Union Pacific, which handles the Sunset over nearly all of the train’s route between […]
Amtrak issues request for construction qualifications for East River Tunnel rehabilitation
NEW YORK – Amtrak has issued a Request for Qualifications for construction services regarding renewal for two of four tunnels under the East River. The project would work to modernize tunnel infrastructure. Preparatory work is already underway in New York’s Sunnyside Yard with major construction starting in early 2024 and continuing through 2027. The tunnels […]