Pacific Surfliner business-class interiors get upgrade

Side view of blue and silver bilevel passenger car

LOS ANGELES — Travelers who choose business class on the Pacific Surfliner route between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif., have always enjoyed more bang for the extra bucks. That’s because Surfliner’s version includes wine, snack packs, and morning pastries as well as soft drinks, coffee, and juice — all served by an attendant […]

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Amtrak, Delaware receive funds to support rail job training

Amtrak logo.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Amtrak and the Delaware Department of Transportation have been awarded an $11 million grant to fund a new “Railroading 101” training program. The funds from the U.S. Department of Labor will offer a program to develop railroad-related skills. It will also improve job opportunities in Delaware and build a more diverse rail […]

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Lenox Tower project complete, Illinois DOT announces

Freight train crosses tracks near building being demolished

  MITCHELL, Ill. — A $10.1 million project to reconfigure and modernize rail operations at Lenox Tower, a key rail junction northeast of St. Louis, has been completed, the Illinois Department of Transportation has announced. The joint federal and state project, also funded by Amtrak and freight railroads, was announced more than a year ago […]

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Amtrak, SunRail resuming operations after hurricane

Passenger train stops at station at dusk

Amtrak has resumed some of its service that has been cancelled as a result of Hurricane Ian, with some modifications, while Orlando-area commuter operator SunRail will resume operations with a modified schedule on Monday. As of today (Sunday, Oct. 2) regular service is resuming for both directions of Auto Train between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, […]

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Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink facing 60-day service outage to Oceanside, San Diego official says

Blue and silver-painted locomotive at a station platform surrounding by brown steel work and palm trees. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner renewable diesel.

SAN DIEGO — The interruption of passenger service between South Orange County and Oceanside, Calif, could last for two months, an official with San Diego’s planning agency told broadcaster KPBS. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and LA-area commuter operator Metrolink halted service through San Clemente, Calif., on Friday, over concerns about erosion along a portion of the […]

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Amtrak service changes in Southeast extended through Saturday

Amtrak logo.

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has extended its cancellations of Auto Train and the Silver Star, and shortened the route of the Palmetto, for at least another day. The passenger operator announced Friday that it had cancelled Saturday departures for the north- and southbound Auto Train between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., and the north- and southbound […]

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How to add figures to your Amtrak passenger cars

model passenger car with roof removed

Passengers were the missing element on the daily Amtrak trains operating over my HO Ohio Southern until I discovered sets of seated figures made by Faller and Noch. Best of all, they fit right into the molded interior seats in Walthers’ classic streamliners. My Amtrak train represents a secondary turn-around run covered by the older […]

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Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink halt operations in South Orange County

Heavy equipment moving rocks along rail lline at beach as train waits in distance

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink have suspended service until further notice between Irvine and Oceanside, Calif., over “safety concerns” regarding the right-of-way in San Clemente, according to a notice on the Surfliner website. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that erosion along the beach in […]

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