Looking for the loneliest Amtrak station in California? Consider Lompoc-Surf, population: zero, an alternative to crowded California passenger stations. You won’t worry about parking your car, long walks to trackside, or even other people. There may be about 40 million people in California, but unless they are waiting for the train, or someone on it, […]
Railroad: Amtrak
Amtrak plans ‘statewide celebration’ for return of second Missouri River Runner
The resumption of two daily round trips on the St. Louis-Kansas City, Mo., Missouri River Runner will be marked with ceremonies at cities along the route, Amtrak says. The second round trip, restored through funding approved by the Missouri General Assembly and Gov. Mike Parson, resumes Monday, July 18 [see “Second ‘Missouri River Runner’ to […]
Wrongful death suit filed in Chief derailment
KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — The family of a woman killed in the June 27 derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief has filed a wrongful death suit in the county where the accident occurred, naming the company whose truck was struck by the train, BNSF Railway, and a BNSF employee as defendants. Rachelle Cook, 58, of De Soto, […]
State Department of Transportation joins Montana passenger rail agency
MISSOULA, Mont. — The agency seeking to revive Amtrak service through southern Montana has added a significant new member — the state’s Department of Transportation. The Missoula Current reports that the department has joined the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority as an ex officio member, a move described by authority Chairman Dave Strohmaier as “a […]
Amtrak urges regulators to reject CN’s request to gain control of KCS’s former Gateway Western trackage
WASHINGTON – Amtrak has urged federal regulators to reject Canadian National’s quest to obtain Kansas City Southern’s former Gateway Western trackage as a condition of the proposed Canadian Pacific-KCS merger. CN aims to create a new single-line route dubbed the Springfield Speedway that would link Kansas City and St. Louis with Chicago, Detroit, and Eastern […]
Gas station manager pleads guilty to fraud involving fuel charges for Amtrak vehicles
NEWARK, N.J. — The manager of a New Jersey gas station has pleaded guilty in a case in which admitted to billing approximately $78,000 in fraudulent fuel charges to Amtrak and more than a dozen other customers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey said in a press release that Umer Hassan […]
Amtrak’s western long-haul routes experience disastrous start to July
CHICAGO — The first 10 days of July have seen significant departure and timekeeping issues for Amtrak’s long-distance trains traveling west and south of Chicago, with few passengers able to make planned transfers at the end of their trips. And even those who did make connections often faced significant timekeeping delays. An example: Passengers riding […]
Latest suit from Chief derailment claims Amtrak, BNSF ‘placed profits over safety’
CHICAGO — A trio of law firms have filed the latest suit on behalf of a passenger injured in the June 27 derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, with one of the firms saying “the ongoing carelessness” of Amtrak and BNSF is the cause of the accident. Passenger Marion Stephens will be represented in the suit […]
Lionel LionChief Amtrak Genesis rolls out for the passenger carrier’s 50th anniversary
Lionel LionChief Amtrak Genesis locomotives represent the engines that, for years, were the backbone of Amtrak’s long-distance fleet. After some initial teething problems, the fast, powerful prototype General Electric P40 and P42 units have proven to be reliable and capable for more than two decades. Lionel has released a traditional sized LionChief Plus 2.0 version […]
Officials stress importance of grant for Chicago passenger project
CHICAGO — Key contributors seeking $251.1 million from a federal competitive grant program focused on Chicago Union Station improvements at a Thursday event to announce their involvement. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, and Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski were among the speakers at the station’s Burlington Room, explaining […]
New York, New Jersey sign agreement on state funding for Northeast Corridor projects
The governors of New York and New Jersey have signed an agreement detailing how the two states will fund their portion of the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway bridge and tunnel projects. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy addresses funding for the Portal North bridge over […]
Iowa city to purchase former CB&Q station
OTTUMWA, Iowa — The City of Ottumwa has agreed to purchase the city’s Amtrak depot, currently owned by the Iowa Heartland Historical Connection. The Ottumwa Courier reports that, by a 4-1 vote on Tuesday, the Ottumwa City Council agreed to purchase the building at a cost of $480,000, funds included in bond approvals earlier this […]