MENDON, Mo. — The Southwest Chief was traveling at 87 mph — just under the track speed of 90 mph — when it struck a dump truck and derailed Monday in the accident that killed four people, including three passengers on board the Amtrak train. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy provided that information […]
Railroad: Amtrak
NTSB investigators gather information at site of Chief derailment
MENDON, Mo. — National Transportation Safety Board investigators spent their first day on the scene of Monday’s fatal Southwest Chief derailment worked to gather information on train speed and other data from the locomotive event recorder, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Tuesday evening. The NTSB also sought to examine video from the P42 […]
Buses to replace trains on Hartford Line for two months
NEWINGTON, Conn. — Most Hartford Line service by CTrail and Amtrak will be replaced by buses for almost two months beginning July 18 to allow the Connecticut Department of Transportation to complete infrastructure projects in Hartford and Windsor, Conn. At Hartford Union Station, the platform canopy will be replaced, with new roofing and lighting over […]
Fourth person dies from Southwest Chief derailment
MENDON, Mo. — A fourth person, and third train passenger, has died as a result of Monday’s grade crossing accident and collision involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has reported. USA Today reports that 150 people were injured in the accident, receiving treatment at 10 area hospitals for injuries ranging from minor […]
Site of Southwest Chief accident had been recommended for grade-crossing improvements
MENDON, Mo. — The location where Amtrak’s Southwest Chief hit a dump truck in a collision and derailment that killed three and injured dozens was on a list of grade crossings recommended for safety upgrades, the Kansas City Star reports. The Monday afternoon accident involving eastbound train No. 4 led to the deaths of two […]
Three dead, many injured as Southwest Chief derails in Missouri (updated)
MENDON, Mo. — Three people are dead after Amtrak’s Southwest Chief hit a dump truck and derailed Monday afternoon, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. NBC News reports two people from the train and one person in the truck were killed, according to Highway Patrol Corporal Justin Dunn. A significant number of others were […]
Pennsylvania says it has reached agreement with NS on improvements for Pittsburgh-Harrisburg route
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state of Pennsylvania says it has reached a deal with Norfolk Southern on a previously announced plan to upgrade infrastructure between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, which would allow a second daily Amtrak train between those cities. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the $200 million deal will be finalized by the end of the […]
New York-Toronto ‘Maple Leaf’ resumes operation
NEW YORK — Amtrak’s Maple Leaf has resumed service to and from Toronto, marking the first cross-border rail service to be resumed since pandemic-related cuts in 2020. Amtrak announced this morning that the northbound Maple Leaf, operated in conjunction with VIA Rail Canada, would operate to Toronto today (Monday, June 27) with the first southbound […]
Amtrak Cardinal day trip to Clifton Forge
An Amtrak Cardinal day trip to Clifton Forge is well within reach! Don’t let Amtrak’s three-day-a-week schedule on the Cardinal route deter you from a scenic Amtrak day trip through the Appalachia Mountains of southern West Virginia and Virginia along CSX Transportation’s route through the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. This passenger rail […]
Amtrak, local officials dedicate fully accessible Homewood, Ill., station
HOMEWOOD, IIl. — Bringing Amtrak’s more than 500 stations into compliance with 1990’s Americans with Disabilities Act has been on Amtrak’s to-do list since the legislation was passed, but only with recent, specifically designated funding has the company prioritized the transformations. One such project was celebrated Saturday, June 25, in Homewood, Ill., with Amtrak brass […]
Four arrested for alleged Amtrak health-care fraud
NEWARK, N.J. — Four people have been arrested and charged for their roles in a health-care fraud scheme that resulted in Amtrak paying at least $9 million in medical claims to those associated with the scheme. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey says Muhammad Mirza, 50, of […]
Amtrak awards preliminary design contract for Penn Station expansion
NEW YORK — Amtrak has awarded a contract to engineering, design, and consulting firm Arup to begin preliminary design for expansion of New York’s Penn Station. The contract, announced Thursday and awarded in partnership with NJ Transit and coordination with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will allow design work to begin for new tracks, platforms, […]