Options exist to ease Amtrak capacity issues: Special Report

Passenger train with bilevel equipment passes electrified commuter train

Second of two parts. Part 1 is available here. CHICAGO — Amtrak’s ability to meet increasing customer demand has been hampered by a shortage of equipment on both short-haul and long-haul trains. State-supported trains in California and the Midwest are still awaiting the Siemens Venture cars, even though the first cars were delivered in 2020. […]

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STB denies mediation request in Amtrak Gulf Coast case

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has turned down a request to order mediation in the Amtrak Gulf Coast case. CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and the Alabama State Port Authority/Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks had requested mediation, which Amtrak had opposed. In the decision released today (Friday, April 1), the board says it “unfortunate” that […]

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News photos: Amtrak releases images of interiors for new Acelas

Seats in Acela Business class

PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak has released images of the interiors for the new Acela trainsets currently under construction or in testing, and now not expected to debut until 2023. “Between the sleek design of their interiors, state-of-the-art technology, and sustainable amenities, and innovative safety features, our new Acela trains will help revolutionize American train travel,” Amtrak […]

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Norfolk Southern earns two sustainability awards

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has received two awards for its achievements in sustainability, the company announced Thursday. NS was recognized with the Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Award for locomotive fuel efficiency from the American Chemistry Council and the 2022 Green Bond of the Year Award from Environmental Finance. The Chemistry Council award recognizes efforts including […]

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Biden budget includes more funds for passenger rail, transit projects

Head-on view of passenger train with road-switcher-stye locomotive

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s fiscal 2023 budget recommendations call for a significant boost over previous levels of rail funding, on top of amounts already appropriated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But like all Executive Branch budgets, they are only suggestions meant to guide Congress’ spending priorities. The Federal Railroad Administration’s budget request is $4.66 […]

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Moynihan Train Hall in New York City

Moynihan Train Hall: Nighttime view of train station

Moynihan Train Hall in New York City is the main hall and gathering space for travelers riding trains to and from the underground Penn Station nearby. From its hall and corridors, passengers can wait for Amtrak trains on the Northeast Corridor, long-distance trains terminating in New York, as well as Long Island Rail Road and […]

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Zephyr passenger cars last trip — a 2017 journey

View of river at sunset through a passenger car window.

Zephyr passenger cars last trip — Looking beyond a sea of Amtrak Phase IV, the stainless-steel design and neon lights spell out California Zephyr on the tail end of Amtrak’s westbound No. 5 of the same name at Chicago Union Station. It’s a scene reminiscent of the 1950s with the same equipment that carried the […]

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