Amtrak Empire Service adventure along the Hudson River

Ride with Trains.com staffer Ben Lake as he enjoys the charm of regional passenger rail services through a scenic journey aboard an Amtrak Empire Service train. Departing from Penn Station in New York City, the train meanders along the Hudson River to Albany, N.Y., offering glimpses of iconic landmarks like the George Washington Bridge. Explore […]

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Some Amtrak trains between Penn Station, Albany to resume Thursday

Two trains on opposite sides of station platform

NEW YORK — Some direct Amtrak service between New York Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer will resume Thursday, Nov. 16, with the rest restored on Friday, WNBC-TV reports. Service has been disrupted since Sunday, Nov. 12, because of structural issues with a parking garage above Amtrak’s right-of-way in Manhattan [see “Amtrak disruption of service …,” Trains […]

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Engineers, Amtrak reach tentative contract agreement

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Amtrak has reached a tentative contract agreement with its more than 1,400 locomotive engineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has announced. If ratified, the agreement would run through 2028. Features include retroactive payments retroactive to 2022, a 30% wage increase (34.12% compounded); 10 weeks of paid parental leave; increased away-from-home […]

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Big Sky passenger organization receives $150,000 grant

Logo of Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

BILLINGS, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority has received a $150,000 grant to support its efforts to revive Amtrak service on Montana’s “southern tier” route, as well as other rail projects in a five-state region in the Pacific Northwest. The Missoula Current news site reports the grant was awarded by the Pacific Northwest […]

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From the Cab: Even if the shoe doesn’t fit, wear it!

A railroad worker, dressed in blue jeans and a blue windbreaker, climbs the ladder to reach the cab of a passenger locomotive

Even if the shoe doesn’t fit, wear it! This is the sort of story that often leads to the most frequently asked question posed to me after speaking publicly, or having written a humorous story: “Did that really happen?” Yes, it did. To quote my favorite locomotive engineer school instructor, “If you tell me that […]

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Amtrak Cincinnati services through time

Current station for Amtrak Cincinnati services at Cincinnati Union Terminal

Amtrak Cincinnati services arose from the need to move people between the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Amtrak moved from Cincinnati Union Terminal to a new station, its first new-built station on its vast network, located on River Road west of downtown on Oct. 29, 1972.     On July 29, 1991, Amtrak returned to the monolithic […]

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