Secrecy issues dominate as Gulf Coast STB hearing continues: Analysis

Passenger train with theater car at rear stopped at station

WASHINGTON — Cross-examination of Jim Blair, Amtrak’s senior director of host railroads, consumed the full 8-hour, 28-minute session Monday as the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing on the effort to launch passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., resumed after an almost three-week hiatus. Blair was questioned by lawyers from Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and […]

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Berkshires to New York Amtrak service begins July 8

Amtrak logo.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The new seasonal rail service between Pittsfield, Mass., and New York City is scheduled to operate during summer weekends this year and again in 2023. Amtrak and local transportation officials will evaluate the demand, determining if the pilot project should be continued. “We are pleased to work together with our partner agencies […]

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Biden’s Amtrak Board nominations lack qualifications demanded by Congress: Analysis

Three trains — one freight, two passengers — meet on triple-track main line.

WASHINGTON — In theory, any organization’s board of directors must possess enough expertise in the business it oversees to analyze and pass judgement on whether management’s policies fulfill the organization’s goals. In Amtrak’s reauthorizing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted last November, Congress was clear it now requires board members exercising such oversight to possess […]

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Minnesota Senate kills Twin Cities-Duluth passenger rail proposal

Map showing proposed Twin Cities-Duluth passenger rail route

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s state Senate has blocked efforts to launch passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, passing a budget amendment by a senator who said the idea was “like asking us to spend money on buggy whips.” Minnesota Public Radio reports the amendment by Sen. David Osmek (R-Mound, Minn.) prohibits […]

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Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1

Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1! No force of nature or pandemic fears could keep Trains.com Producer Kent Johnson from pressing ahead with his Amtrak victory lap across America in the summer of 2021. There’s no better way to reveal the highlights and highjinks of present-day rail travel, than to document the ride along routes of notable […]

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Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1

Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1! No force of nature or pandemic fears could keep Trains.com Executive Producer Kent Johnson from pressing ahead with his Amtrak victory lap across America in the summer of 2021. There’s no better way to reveal the highlights and highjinks of present-day rail travel, than to document the ride along routes of […]

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Passenger association, union applaud Amtrak board nominations

Rail Passengers Association logo

WASHINGTON — The Rail Passengers Association and a major union reacted positively to nominations by President Joe Biden to fill five positions on the 10-member Amtrak board of directors. “America’s passengers asked President Biden to make the Amtrak Board a top priority, and he did,” Rail Passengers Association CEO Jim Mathews said in a press […]

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The Trains Interview: Chris Koos

Man in blue shirt with brick building in background

Since 2003, Normal, Ill., business owner Chris Koos has championed downtown development as mayor of the Midwest college town situated on Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service route. He was nominated on Friday by President Joe Biden for a spot on Amtrak’s board of directors, the second time he has been nominated. President Donald Trump nominated […]

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Biden to nominate five to Amtrak board (updated)

Man in coat and tie with gray hair and glasses

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will nominate five people, including current chairman Anthony Coscia, to the Amtrak board of directors, the White House has announced. Reuters initially reported the nominations, citing information from “an official.” Coscia been on the board since 2010, and was elected as its chairman in 2013. He would be joined by […]

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Amtrak to launch seasonal service between New York and Pittsfield, Mass.

Amtrak logo.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Amtrak will launch seasonal service between New York and Pittsfield as part of a two-year pilot program beginning July 8. The Berkshire Flyer, operating in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, will offer Friday service from Penn Station to Pittsfield via Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y. Return service will operate on Sundays. The Friday […]

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Creation of agency to pursue Reading-Philadelphia passenger service is approved

Portion of map showing existing and proposed rail routes in the Northeast

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — A third county has approved formation of a new agency to lead efforts to restore rail passenger service between Reading, Pa., and Philadelphia, making official the organization’s creation. WFMZ-TV reports commissioners in Chester County unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday to form the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, following similar approvals […]

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