ST. LOUIS – Amtrak has extended to Dec. 4 the suspension of one of the Missouri River Rail Runner round trips between St. Louis and Kansas City. The suspension began Oct. 24 and was scheduled to end Nov. 16. An Amtrak spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the suspension is due to continued delays in […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Vice President of Long-Distance Service, Larry Chestler, said the company will be without more than a tenth of its equipment for those operations during the current fiscal year, which began in September. Participating in a Rail Passengers Association webinar on Tuesday, Chestler also reviewed the status of onboard dining, workforce hiring, internal […]
LA PLATA, Mo. – Officials from Amtrak and the La Plata-based American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation marked the completion of a $6 million upgrade of the former Santa Fe La Plata station with a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 12. The station is served by Amtrak trains Nos. 3 and 4, the Southwest Chief. APRHF is […]
Chicago-area pedestrian crossing disappears I have no idea how long pedestrians have been crossing the railroad right-of-way at the gated crossing on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line at Central Avenue in Western Springs, Ill., but it’s safe to assume it’s been quite a while. But the way that crossing quickly disappeared is another reminder of […]
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the group seeking to return passenger service to southern Montana, has agreed to help BNSF Railway seek a federal grant for improvements on the route of the Empire Builder, the existing Amtrak service in the northern part of the state. The Missoula Current reports that the $15 […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The unstable slope along the rail line used by Amtrak and Metrolink trains in south Orange County continues to move, but excavation is scheduled to begin today (Friday, Nov. 11) for the installation of ground anchors to stabilize the hillside, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Passenger service on the Surf Line […]
RUGBY, N.D. — With extreme winter weather expected tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 11) and Saturday, BNSF Railway has notified Amtrak that it will enact directional running between Minot and Fargo, N.D., for those days, forcing the westbound Empire Builder to miss scheduled stops in Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby. Forecasts are for 10 to 15 […]
WASHINGTON — Having been told there is a “substantial probability” the parties involved can reach an agreement through mediation, the Surface Transportation Board has agreed to postpone the final two days of hearings over Amtrak’s efforts to launch Gulf Coast passenger service until Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The hearings had been scheduled for Nov. […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak reduced the huge financial shortfall it experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic with its results in fiscal 2022, earning $1.78 billion in gross ticket revenues while carrying 22.9 million passengers, according to a route-specific recap obtained by Trains News Wire. Most noteworthy in yearly comparisons by service category, shown in the table below, […]
The Rapido Trains HO scale E8 diesel locomotive decorated as Amtrak No. 4316 paid a visit to Model Railroader’s Milwaukee, Racine & Troy layout. The six-axle passenger locomotive is decorated in Amtrak’s “day one” paint scheme. Features on the Rapido Trains HO scale E8 diesel locomotive include an injection-molded plastic body; a passenger pilot; separate, […]
The Rapido Trains HO scale E8 diesel locomotive decorated as Amtrak No. 4316 paid a visit to Model Railroader’s Milwaukee, Racine & Troy layout. The six-axle passenger locomotive is decorated in Amtrak’s “day one” paint scheme. Features on the Rapido Trains HO scale E8 diesel locomotive include an injection-molded plastic body; a passenger pilot; separate, […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has announced a series of changes and cancellations for Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and Auto Train departures scheduled for today (Tuesday, Nov. 8) through Friday, Nov. 11, because of the approach of Tropical Storm Nicole, which is being forecast to reach hurricane status by the time it arrives in Florida. The first […]
