The New York region needs to strengthen rail capacity and resiliency in order to create “a better ability to resist damage, recover from an event and return the rail system to service” following major disasters, Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman told a U.S. Senate committee today.
Amtrak will provide modified Northeast Regional service between Boston and New Haven, Conn., and between Newark, N.J., and points south, on Thursday, Nov. 1.
Drug and alcohol use among Amtrak employees “has been generally trending upward since 2006,” an alarming trend that increases the likelihood of a serious wreck, the railroad’s inspector general warned in a recently released report. In 2011, Amtrak’s combined positive test rate was roughly 51 percent higher than the industry average, its worst year since 2007, according to the report. The increase in drug use poses a risk to not only Amtrak employees, but also to the traveling public, the inspector general warns. The new report was released just before the railroad set a new annual ridership record, carrying more
WASHINGTON – Amtrak, anticipating its busiest travel day of the year, is urging passengers to book their Thanksgiving holiday tickets early for best availability and pricing. The busiest travel days that are likely to sell out are the Tuesday and Wednesday before and the Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving. In time for this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, Amtrak will offer two new service expansions. Starting Nov. 1, the Downeaster will offer expanded rail service to Freeport and Brunswick, Maine. Tickets for this new service go on sale Oct. 1. In addition, tickets are now available for new Amtrak Thruway bus service
While Amtrak started its operations in 1971, not all railroads gave up passenger service. Southern Railways’ Crescent route between New York and New Orleans was once such example.
Amtrak certainly has an interesting history. Since its inception 41 years ago, Amtrak has ferried passengers across the country’s rail network. Its routes have ranged from cross-country hauls to speedier service between closer destinations. Amtrak, which has never turned an annual profit, this week launched a new website (history.amtrak.com) dedicated to the railroad’s history. The site includes digital copies of ads, timetables and images. “Amtrak is woven into the fabric of America, providing a vital transportation service to the nation and connecting families and communities as part of an amazing and unfolding history,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said in
The workers who laid tracks across the country were known as Gandy Dancers. The name is sometimes attributed to a Gandy Tool Co. that manufactured the tools used to build railroads, though the existence of such a company has been debated.
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is testing high-speed test trains at 165 mph in four areas covering more than 100 miles of the Northeast Corridor. The tests in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are locations that may at some future time experience regular 160 mph service, the railroad said. The tests will use high-speed Acela Express equipment and will measure the interaction between the train and the track, rider quality and other safety factors. The test runs must be performed at 5 mph above the expected maximum operating speed of 160 mph. The test areas between approximately Perryville, Md.
WASHINGTON — Amtrak “has provided a high return on the limited Federal investment we’ve received,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman told Congress. “[P]assenger rail has received only a tiny portion of the annual Federal transportation budget,” Boardman said in his written testimony. “To give just one example, in the past four years the Federal government has appropriated $53.3 billion from the General Fund of the Treasury to bail out the Highway Trust Fund. That’s almost 30% more than the total Federal expenditure on Amtrak since 1971 [$39.3 billion]. “Federal expenditures on Amtrak during the past 41 years pale next