Amtrak F40PH locomotives are considered the standard passenger motive power for the 1980s and early 1990s. The four-axle, 3,000-hp units are mechanically identical to the much more common GP40-2 freight locomotive, which also use the 16-645E prime mover. In fact, the F40PH was EMD’s first production passenger locomotive to use this prime mover. (Other F40PH […]
Railroad: Amtrak
Biden announces $292 million in funding for Hudson tunnel project
NEW YORK — On a second consecutive day highlighting plans to support rail infrastructure projects, President Joe Biden said today (Tuesday, Jan. 31) that the federal government would provide $292 million in grants for the early stages of the effort to build new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River to connect New York and New […]
MTA runs into early delays with Penn Station Access project
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority project to bring Metro-North commuter rail service to Penn Station via Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, while building four new stations in the Bronx, has barely begun — but is already facing notable delays. Bloomberg reports Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction and Development, told an MTA board committee […]
Pacific Surfliner service resumes to San Luis Obispo
GOLETA, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner resumed service between Goleta and San Luis Obispo on Monday, Jan. 30, following a two-week suspension. The updated schedule of service to and from San Luis Obispo is available here. Operations north of Goleta had been suspended while Union Pacific repaired a storm-damaged trestle on the grounds of Vandenberg […]
B&P Tunnel to receive more than $4 billion in federal funding, Biden says
BALTIMORE — President Joe Biden today announced that the project to replace the Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel, a Northeast Corridor bottleneck dating to 1873, will receive more than $4 billion in federal infrastructure funding. “The structure is deteriorating. The roof is leaking. The floor is sinking. This is the United States of America, for God’s […]
UP asks STB to order mediation with Amtrak in Sunset Limited case
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked the Surface Transportation Board to order mediation in response to Amtrak’s request for an investigation into its handling of the Sunset Limited, and says the current Sunset schedule is the root cause of the train’s problems. In a Friday filing with the STB, UP asserts that the Sunset schedule […]
Biden to visit Baltimore to help launch B&P Tunnel project
BALTIMORE — President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Baltimore this afternoon to announce funding and labor agreements for the project to replace the Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel, the 150-year-old route into Baltimore Penn Station that is a major bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor. Biden is scheduled to speak about 2:45 p.m. EST, WMAR-TV reports. […]
Pacific Surfliner to resume weekend service between LA, San Diego on Feb. 4
ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service between Los Angeles and San Diego, suspended since Sept. 30 because of an unstable hillside in San Clemente, Calif., will be restored on weekends beginning Feb. 4. In announcing the partial restoration of service, the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Corridor Agency said tracks in the San Clemente […]
Amtrak offering scholarship to high school, college students
WASHINGTON — Amtrak will award 11 scholarships to “advance the future of rail” through the Amtrak Scholarship Program, intended to help full-time undergraduate and graduate students who are passionate about rail. “As we continue to revolutionize the Amtrak experience, hiring to address significant demand is essential,” Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Qiana Spain […]
Head of FRA says states need more staff dedicated to rail projects
WASHINGTON — The head of the Federal Railroad Administration is urging states to increase staffing and expertise to handle rail projects, given the additional funding available from the federal government. A report on the website Route Fifty, which covers issues of interest to state and local goverments, says FRA Administrator Amit Bose told the U.S. […]
Amtrak suffers more long-distance cancellations, delays: Analysis
CHICAGO — None of the individual delays that befell numerous cross-country Amtrak trains during the last week were as lengthy or dramatic as the 37-hour ordeal experienced by more than 500 Auto Train passengers on Jan. 12. But recurring tardiness on several routes, coupled with reduced equipment availability triggering sellouts and high fares, has posed […]
News photos: Long-distance Charger goes to Florida
Tucked into Amtrak’s locomotive consist for southbound train No. 91, the Silver Star, on Friday, Jan. 20, was Siemens ALC42 Charger No. 316, shown as the train passed through Fredericksburg, Va. Photographer Nathan Richters reports it is believed to be the first revenue trip for a Charger in Florida service. The long-distance Chargers are gradually […]