Amtrak, Metra end mediation; Union Station dispute to return to STB
Mediation of Amtrak’s dispute with Metra over Metra’s lease at Chicago Union Station has ended with some issues still unresolved. In a letter to the Surface Transportation Board, representatives of STB and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said the two parties had met nine times — including three meetings since the two sides asked for additional mediation time on Nov. 2 — since the board ordered mediation in July. Under the terms of the July decision, the two parties now must identify and submit the remaining issues to the board for disposition.
Caltrain to introduce new schedule Dec. 14
Caltrain will introduce a new schedule as of Dec. 14, operating 68 weekday trains, with at least two per hour in each direction during the day. In a press release, the agency says the new schedule provides more frequent off-peak and weekend service, to reflect the current nature of its ridership, which skews toward essential workers who are more likely to travel during off-peak times. On weekends, Caltrain will now offer service hourly, rather than every 90 minutes. The new weekday schedule is here, and the weekend schedule is here. The agency also announced it will permanently close its Atherton station as of Dec. 19, following through on a previously announced plan [see “Digest: Canada revises cold-weather rules …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 9, 2020].
Sinkhole repaired, Mass Coastal resumes operation
Service on the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad has resumed after being halted when 300 feet of track was swallowed by a sinkhole in late October. The Cape Cod Times reports a trash-hauling train passed through the East Sandwich, Mass., area on Nov. 29, ending a month in which the trash traffic moved by truck. The sinkhole, which cut off Mass Coastal’s shops from the rest of the railroad, was reported Oct. 27 [see “Digest: Sinkhole swallows rail line …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 6, 2020].
