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 […]
Railroad: Amtrak
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, […]
Amtrak names Harris as president
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has once again split the positions of chief executive officer and president, with CEO Stephen Gardner announcing the appointment of Roger Harris as president and the promotion of Gerhard (Gery) Williams to executive vice president, service delivery and operations. Gardner had become president and CEO in January following the announced retirement of […]
Amtrak finalizes order for additional Charger locomotives
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has finalized an order for 50 additional Siemens Charger locomotives for long-distance passenger service. The deal was originally reported by Trains News Wire in February [see “Amtrak to order 50 more …,” News Wire, Feb. 8, 2022]. The latest order will bring to 125 the number of ALC42 locomotives purchased by Amtrak. […]
Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains book review
Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains is a beautifully crafted 256-page, all-color hardbound volume. It is a time capsule of relevant information on the first 50 years of Amtrak’s existence, including a comprehensive survey of Amtrak routes between 1971 and 2021. The volume accounts for all Amtrak routes and trains (the book is divided into state […]
Amtrak adds additional daily service to Roanoke, Va.
WASHINGTON — Amtrak will add a second daily Northeast Regional departure from Roanoke, Va., as of July 11, creating a schedule with morning and afternoon trains in both directions between Roanoke, Washington, and other Northeast Corridor destinations. Trains will now depart Roanoke at 6:32 a.m. (arriving in Washington at 11:34 a.m.) and 4:30 p.m. (arriving […]