Wednesday afternoon rail news:
— As of Friday, April 24, Amtrak will replace the remaining daily Hiawatha round trip between Chicago and Milwaukee with Thruway Bus service, reflecting the continuing decline of ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southbound service will be handled by Bus 3332, departing from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station at 7:55 a.m. and arriving at Chicago Union Station at 9:54 a.m. Northbound service will be provided by Bus 3339, originating at Chicago at 5 p.m. and arriving at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station at 6:59 p.m. Reservations will be required to maintain social distancing. The bus substitution will be in effect through Monday, May 25. Up-to-date information on service changes because of the pandemic is available on the Amtrak website.
— May 1 is the entry deadline for “Connections,” the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s 2020 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards Program. Entries are limited to three digitally submitted images per photographer; images must have been taken within the last five years. Prizes are $750 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place; other entries recognized by the judges will receive a one-year subscription to the Center’s magazine, Railroad Heritage. More information is available at the Center’s website.
— Fort Worth, Texas, based American Track has acquired the track inspection, maintenance, and repair group of Savage Transportation Management in Salt Lake City. American Track, formed by Hilltop Private Capital in 2016, operates in 10 U.S. locations to provide rail support services to mines, ports, refineries, manufactures, warehouses, transload facilities, short lines and mainline railroads. More information is available at the company website.
— Canadian Pacific Railway has released a new video, “Proud to be a railroader,” saluting the workers who continue to provide essential service during the coronavirus pandemic. The video is available for viewing here.
Reading Company had its own bus subsidiary, Reading Transportation Company. Some schedules could draw passengers but not enough to justify a train so RDG scheduled a bus, making it clear in the public timetable it was a “bus on public highway.” Franklin St. Station in Reading was a combined bus/train facility as most Allentown-Harrisburg schedules were bus.
It made sense: if you didn’t have enough volume for a train, you run a bus so you continue to provide a service.
STEVE – Yes Steve you stated what no one else wants to talk about:- pensions are an issue. What the federals need to do now is to firmly declare that each state will receive equivalent support. The states which have bankrupted themselves with spending or outlandish pensions will need to get by on the same basis as states that have been responsible. To go back the Hiawatha, look at the two states. Wisconsin has some of the more solid public pension funds and Illinois has some of the very worst.
As someone who often crosses the state line (by Hiawatha or by highway) I’m struck by how prosperous Illinois looks compared to its country-cousin northern neighbor where I live. It’s all based on funny money.
What an awesome video by CP. I too was proud to be a railroader working as a second career at Amtrak. I loved what I did, worked beyond when I could have retired, I loved it that much. I always took pride in what I did and was very fortunate to get into a second career that I enjoyed and was proud even to this day to call myself a railroader. I will always say even to this day, most railroaders love and are proud of what they do and I was too.
Charles, I heard a few days ago Ilinois is asking for 41 Billion (yes, billion) from the Feds and using the Coronavirus expenses as an excuse. Sounds like they are now trying to get the American taxpayer, and not just Illinois, to wipe out their debt due to overspending and pension fund mismanagement al of these years!
Fox News reports Chicago mayor says lockdown might continue into June.
What a way for a bankrupt city and state to go even more bankrupt. Do they expect indefinite federal bailout after other states re-open ????
Anyway as I posted immediately below this could be the end of the Hiawatha as we have known it.
That’ll make all the NIMBYS in Glenview happy for a while.
Not long ago we were talking of increasing the Hiawatha’s frequency. Now it seems we might never get back to the schedule we did have as recently as a month ago. Sad.
“Amtrak will replace the remaining daily Hiawatha round trip between Chicago and Milwaukee with Thruway Bus service”
Seeing that no one is driving these days anyway, I don’t see this as a big loss except for parking and convenience.