Amtrak – Page 47 – Railfanning.org

Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and California Zephyr Midwest Flooding Disruption Update

June 21, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

Amtrak has been notified by BNSF and Canadian Pacific (CP) railways of efforts to restore passenger train service on three routes disrupted due to flooding on the Mississippi River and its tributaries in Iowa and Wisconsin. BNSF and CP host these trains on tracks they own, maintain and dispatch.While still hoping to restore rail service soon, Amtrak is planning to operate limited alternate transportation through the affected areas for each of these trains until further notice. Through June 24, passengers are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL if they have travel plans through the affected areas on routes of the

Kummant: Amtrak Could Always Use a Little More Cash

June 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOSTON – Amtrak could had easily asked for $1.6 billion to invest on capital improvements, more than double the funding it asked for in 2009, President Alex Kummant told Reuters. “To give you a sense of the capital flow, we today get between $500 million and $600 million a year on capital,” Kummant said. “We asked for the coming year for $800 million. We could easily spend twice of that if you look at the state of the repair backlog. And if you look at the appropriation, the kind of sliding scale here, the capital grants range in 2009 from

House Agrees to Reauthorize Amtrak

June 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The House today agreed to a nearly $15 bill bill that reauthorizes Amtrak and aims to improve intercity rail. The bill was approved by a 311-104 margin. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The bill authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants and high-speed rail over the next five years. “Nothing could be more fitting to bring before the Congress today, on a day when gasoline has reached $4.05 a gallon across the United States on average,” The Associated Press quotes U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., as saying. Mica,

Thames River Bridge Outage Shifted Two Days Until Monday, June 16

June 11, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — The scheduled replacement of the moveable span of the Thames River Bridge, originally scheduled for June 14 through June 17, has been rescheduled for Monday, June 16, through Thursday, June 19. As a result, virtually all regularly scheduled Amtrak service — including Acela Express trains — will operate Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15 throughout the New York-Boston region. Because of the shift in plans, Amtrak has scheduled additional Boston-New Haven-New York Inland Route trains and some connecting bus service to bypass the bridge outage during the four-day period from June 16 through June 19. Work

Second Phase of Track Project Causes More Temporary Amtrak Illinois Schedule Changes

June 11, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Amtrak schedules on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, served by Lincoln Service trains and the Texas Eagle, will undergo temporary changes throughout this month, while Union Pacific Railroad carries out the second of two phases of track improvements at Springfield, Ill. Amtrak, which operates Lincoln Service Trains 300-302 & 305-307 under a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation (Ill. DOT), regrets any inconvenience. Lincoln Service Changes From June 16 through June 24, Train 300, the early morning departure from St. Louis to Chicago and Train 307, the evening departure from Chicago to St. Louis, will only operate between

House to Discuss Amtrak Reauthorization Bill

June 11, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The House was today expected to discuss a bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail. Last month, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved HR 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. The bill authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years. Even if the house approves the bill, it faces a tough road since President Bush has said he supports a self-sufficient Amtrak. Major provisions of the bill include: – Authorizing $4.2 billion (an average of $840 million per

Rediscover the Coast Starlight: Enhanced Parlour Cars Debut in Time for Summer Travel Season

June 4, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND — Amtrak is unveiling a new look on the Coast Starlight just in time for the busy summer travel season, officials said. This legendary train, which operates daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, features refurbished Parlour Cars, new Arcade rooms and enhanced amenities. “This is going to be an exciting summer for passengers traveling on board the Coast Starlight,” said Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s Vice President, Marketing & Product Development. “The Coast Starlight has long been one of the most popular long-distance trains in our network and we are delighted to bring these upgrades to our dedicated passengers.” The new

Kids Ride Free Weekends this Summer on Amtrak Hiawathas; Ridership Growth of More than 18 Percent on the Route

May 31, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Take a ride on the Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee this summer and bring the kids for free. From now through August 31, kids ages 2 to 15 travel for free every weekend this summer — including Independence Day weekend in July. With the Amtrak Kids Ride Free promotion on the Hiawatha trains, two children may travel for free with each full-fare paying adult on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains offer seven daily departures in each direction Mondays through Saturdays, with six trains each way on Sundays. The Kids Ride Free promotion

Railroads Rack Up $380M in Federal Grants

May 31, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded $380.1 million for transit security as part of its Infrastructure Protection Activities (IPA) grant program. The grants will be used to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies. “With this year’s funding, the department will have provided roughly $3 billion in grants for securing the nation’s critical infrastructure and transportation systems,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. “As capabilities mature, we’re encouraging state and local governments and the private sector to prioritize IED prevention and protection, communications capabilities, information sharing, and regionally

Amtrak Cancels Trains to Replace Bridge Span

May 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW LONDON, Conn. — For four days next month, Amtrak will cancel some of its trains in order to replace the movable span of the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge, located between Groton and New London, Conn. Rail service will be affected between New Haven and Boston on June 14-17 when Amtrak will install a new vertical lift span to replace the movable bascule portion of the bridge. That will mark the final stage of a multi-year, $83 million project designed to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures and minimize train delays. “The aged drawbridge