PTC issues cause Amtrak cancellations and delays

Passenger train under gray skies

CHICAGO — Amtrak trains on some routes are experiencing cancellations or delays today (Friday, March 24) as a result of a nationwide server issue that is keeping the positive train control initialization process from taking place. “It is a back-office issue, and we have been working with our [PTC] vendor to resolve it,” Amtrak spokesman […]

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Former New York City Transit chief Byford to join Amtrak

NYC_Byford_Spielman

NEW YORK — Former New York City Transit President Andy Byford will join Amtrak in a newly created role, senior vice president of high speed rail development programs. The new job, first reported by Streetsblog NYC, was announced in an Amtrak email to employees today (Thursday, March 23). He will join the company April 10. […]

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Amtrak releases annual funding request to Congress

Passenger train arrives at station with covered platform

WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s annual funding request to Congress seeks $1.7 billion for the Northeast Corridor and $1.95 billion for its National Network needs in the coming fiscal year, as well as almost $9.7 billion in additional funding, according to the General and Legislative Annual Report and Fiscal Year 2024 Grant Request released this week. The […]

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Amtrak train derails in Bay Area (updated)

PORT COSTA, Calif. — No injuries were reported after an Amtrak Capitol Corridor train struck a downed tree and derailed this afternoon, disrupting traffic on the San Jose-Auburn, Calif., route. The derailment was reported 3:25 p.m. PDT about a half-mile east of Port Costa, according to the Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department. Fifty-five people were on board; […]

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‘Adirondack’ tickets now on sale for service beginning April 3

Train approaches station in snow-covered landscape

NEW YORK — Following intense pressure from New York politicians, Amtrak has started selling tickets for travel on the New York-Montreal Adirondack, which will resume operation April 3 northbound and April 4 southbound. Ticket sales began Monday, March 20. It is the last route to be reinstated following widespread suspensions that took place in March […]

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BNSF main line reopens in Arizona

BNSF Railway logo

TOPOCK, Ariz. — BNSF Railway has reopened its Southern Transcon main line near the Arizona-California state line following a Wednesday derailment, the railroad said in a customer advisory today (Saturday, March 18). That derailment occurred about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday near Topock, about 11 miles southeast of Needles, Calif., on the Seligman Subdivision. It involved eight […]

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Amtrak launches ultra-low-fare promotion on Northeast Corridor

Train in rain

WASHINGTON — Amtrak is now offering late-night and early-morning fares ranging from $5 to $20 on portions of the Northeast Corridor under a “Night Owl Fares” promotion announced Thursday. The coach fares are good for travel between Washington, D.C., and New York only, for select departures between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. More information, including […]

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UP’s Coast Line again shut down by storm damage

Passenger train on trestle near Pacific Ocean

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — For the second time this winter, Amtrak has been forced to halt Coast Starlight service for an extended period in the wake of weather-related damages to Union Pacific’s Coast Line. Following a fierce winter storm that made landfall on Friday, March 10, a 74-year-old earthen levee along the Pajaro River in Monterey […]

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BNSF train derails in Arizona

BNSF Railway logo

TOPOCK, Ariz. — Derailed cars of BNSF Railway train that derailed Wednesday night were carrying corn syrup, the railroad reports, correcting initial reports from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office that hazardous materials were on board. CNN reports that BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent told the news network that the derailment occurred about 7:40 p.m. near the […]

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Santa Fe hi-level lounge acquired by Arizona museum

Former Santa Fe high-level passenger car

CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Arizona Railway Museum has acquired former Santa Fe hi-level lounge No. 576. The car arrived at the museum last month Six hi-level lounge cars with curved glass roofs were built for Santa Fe by Budd in 1956. They were numbered 575–580 and operated on the all-coach El Capitan streamliner between Chicago […]

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Equipment shortage causes 4-hour delay for ‘Pennsylvanian’

Electric and diesel locomotive on passenger train at station

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A locomotive shortage over the weekend caused Amtrak’s westbound Pennsylvanian from New York to run more than four hours late on its 444-mile trip to Pittsburgh. On Saturday (March 11), the seven-car train No. 43 left Manhattan’s Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall on time behind an ACS-64 electric locomotive as usual, changing […]

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