Amtrak – Page 51 – Railfanning.org

Ridership Rises Significantly on Caltrans/Amtrak San Joaquins Trains

December 11, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ridership on the tax-payer funded Amtrak San Joaquins Corridor service exceeded all expectations during the month of November with a dramatic jump of 13.1 percent, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced. In all, 78,577 passengers rode the line last month, compared to 69,450 in November 2006. Under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, rail funding for Caltrans’ intercity passenger rail program has grown to $79 million annually, making it the largest state-supported program in the nation. “This is great news for the traveling public,” Caltrans Director Will Kempton said. “Not only are we able to relieve traffic

Weather Continues to Cause Problems for Amtrak

December 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

Due to extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest resulting in downed trees, mudslides and the closure of Interstate 5 in the Olympia, Wash., and Chehalis, Wash., area, Amtrak Cascades service between Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia, will be cancelled Tuesday (Dec. 4). There with be no alternate transportation. Other Amtrak services will also be affected. Train service on the Amtrak Cascades service (between Portland and Vancouver) will be cancelled on Tuesday (Dec. 4) with no alternate transportation. Normal train service will operate between Eugene, Ore., and Portland. The Coast Starlight will terminate at Eugene with alternate transportation only between

Amtrak Train Speeding at Time of Derailment

December 3, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — An Amtrak train that crashed into the rear end of a Norfolk Southern freight train last week was speeding, the NTSB said. Amtrak’s Pere Marquette was traveling 40 mph when it should have been traveling 15 mph Though the speed limit is usually 79 mph along that stretch of track, the Amtrak should have slowed to 15 mph because of a signal. “Part of our investigation is to figure out why that signal was not obeyed,” The Associated Press quoted NTSB Vice Chairman Robert Sumwalt as saying. “We’re not here to point fingers,” Sumwalt said, according to The

Amtrak Service Disrupted Following Mudslides

December 3, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE — Amtrak service in the Pacific Northwest was suspended following mudslides that blocked the railroad. Train service on the Cascades (which runs between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia) has been cancelled, and alternate transportation will be provided to all station stops. Also, service on the Coast Starlight will terminate at Eugene with alternate transportation provided between Eugene and Seattle. The Empire Builder will terminate at Everett, Wash., with alternate transportation provided between Everett and Seattle. It is expected that the service disruption will continue through tomorrow (Dec. 4). Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience. Passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or

Chicago Derailment Under Investigation

December 1, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a Go Team to investigate yesterday’s collision between an Amtrak passenger train and a Norfolk Southern freight train on NS tracks south of Chicago. NTSB Rail Investigator Ted Turpin will serve as Investigator-in-Charge and lead the 7-member team. Vice Chairman Robert Sumwalt will accompany the team and serve as spokesman for the on-scene investigation. At the time of the crash, there were 187 passengers and six employees on board the Amtrak train. Most passengers and crew members were unhurt and were later transported to Amtrak Chicago Union Station and on to

Amtrak, Norfolk Southern Trains Collide in Chicago

November 30, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — An Amtrak train collided with a Norfolk Southern freight train this afternoon, seriously injuring five people, officials said. The Pere Marquette was traveling from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Chicago when it struck the freight train in south Chicago at about 11:30 a.m. local time. The Amtrak train’s locomotive derailed, while the rest of the train remained upright and on the rails. The Amtrak train had one engine and three cars. At the time of the derailment, there were 187 passengers and six crew members on board the train. Thirty injuries were reported, including five serious injuries to Amtrak

In Advance of Amtrak Strike, Bush Appoints Presidential Emergency Board

November 28, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — President Bush today established a Presidential Emergency Board, hoping to keep the employees of nine Amtrak unions from striking. The unions represent more than 6,000 of Amtrak’s non-operating employees who have been working on contracts that expired in 1999. On Nov. 1, the National Mediation Board released Amtrak and the unions from mediation, starting a 30 day cooling off period. If Bush did not appoint the Presidential Emergency Board, the unions’ employees could strike starting Dec. 1. “In the judgment of the National Mediation Board, these disputes threaten substantially to interrupt interstate commerce to a degree that would deprive

Milwaukee Intermodal Station Dedicated

November 27, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

MILWAUKEE – A new Milwaukee Intermodal Station has been dedicated, the culmination of a $17 million project. The new station is served by 16 daily Amtrak trains, and the project transformed a former downtown rail station built in 1965 into a modern intermodal facility that will serve as the “gateway” to the city, officials said. In addition to the seven daily Amtrak Hiawatha Service round-trips between Milwaukee and Chicago, the daily Chicago-Seattle/Portland Amtrak Empire Builder trains stop at the station. Along with the construction of a new three-story, glass-enclosed “galleria” and other exterior renovations, the interior of the remodeled facility features a

Amtrak: ‘Civic Conversation’ to Consider Rail Depot Development and Restoration

November 27, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Citing the need for a greater exchange of success stories and to provide additional passenger rail station improvement resources, Amtrak has invited communities to a “Civic Conversation” in Pittsburgh on Dec. 6. The conversation is part of the railroad’s “Great American Stations” Initiative. Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant sent “Great American Stations Civic Conversation” invitations to mayors and other civic leaders and state officials in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana. Case studies will be highlighted from large and small communities. Representatives of those cities will explain how they shepherded their projects to successes that sparked

Amtrak Prepares for Busy Thanksgiving Travel Week, Expects 70 Percent Increase in Passengers

November 17, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Anticipating the busiest travel week of the year, Amtrak is planning ahead for Thanksgiving and encouraging customers to do the same. Amtrak is ready to welcome thousands of passengers aboard, especially in the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, where more trains will be added during peak travel times. The week of Thanksgiving — Tuesday to Monday — is typically Amtrak’s busiest travel period of the year, carrying more than 600,000 passengers last year. On the heaviest travel day of the year for Amtrak, Nov. 21, the railroad expects ridership to reach over 115,000 passengers system-wide — 70 percent more passengers than an average Wednesday