Amtrak

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Amtrak Downeaster and Empire Service Show Dramatic Increases in Ridership and Revenue

November 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK – As Amtrak ridership across the country grew last fiscal year, some of the largest increases were seen in routes that travel through New England. The Downeaster, operating daily between Portland, Maine and Boston, Mass., showed a dramatic 31 percent increase in comparison to passenger counts for the same time period a year ago. Downeaster trains carried 474,492 passengers during Fiscal Year 2008, which ended Sept. 30, 2008. Ticket revenue climbed by over 36 percent to over $6.5 million during the same period compared to Fiscal Year 2007. “Our continued ridership growth is certainly impacted by the global
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Amtrak: Piedmont and Carolinian Ridership Surges

November 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – North Carolina’s Amtrak corridor trains experienced record ridership gains in and posted double-digit ticket revenue increases Fiscal Year 2008. Collectively, the North Carolina state-supported Carolinian and Piedmont services carried 361,368 passengers and brought in more than $17 million in ticket revenue. Amtrak’s long-distance trains that travel through North Carolina also saw significant growth in FY08. Nationwide, Amtrak ridership in Fiscal Year 2008 increased to 28,716,407, marking the sixth straight year of gains and setting a record for the most passengers using Amtrak trains since the National Railroad Passenger Corporation started operations in 1971. The fiscal year ended September
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Amtrak: Oklahoma City-Fort Worth Passenger Counts Still Soaring

November 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
OKLAHOMA CITY — Final figures for the Amtrak fiscal year show more people are opting for the Amtrak Heartland Flyer train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, with ridership rising by more than 18 percent to total 80,892 for the 12 months ending Sept. 30.Amtrak operates the Heartland Flyer (Trains 821 & 822) under contracts with the Oklahoma and Texas state transportation departments. These are two of the 14 states for which Amtrak operates service that supplements the national network of Amtrak trains. “We continue to be excited about the growth in ridership numbers of the Heartland Flyer,” said David
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Amtrak Hosts Washington Union Station’s Centennial Celebration

October 2, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Amtrak, joined by the District of Columbia DOT, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Ashkenazy Acquisitions, is hosting the Washington Union Station Centennial Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4 and from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5. The event will honor this landmark train station’s role in shaping the city over the last century while celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its historic redevelopment in 1988. The Centennial Celebration includes an open house featuring an expansive display of historic locomotives, private rail cars and current Amtrak equipment, as well as memorabilia exhibits and drawings for
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Kummant: Legislation ‘Places Rail Passenger Service on a More Equal Footing With Other Modes’

October 2, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Legislation that allocates $12.9 billion over five years for Amtrak creates for the first time a “federal funding partnership which places rail passenger service on a more equal footing with other modes,” Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant said. Both the House and the Senate have approved the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act, which includes the money for Amtrak. “The work on this authorization bill spanned nearly three congresses and does change the existing conditions for Amtrak, the rail industry and the states,” Kummant said. “Apart from safety enhancements, the bill creates for the first time a state
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Amtrak Financial Specialist Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

October 2, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — A Financial Specialist for Amtrak since 1975 has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $74,000, federal officials said. Douglas L. Thompson, 60, pleaded guilty earlier to a one-count Information charging theft from a program receiving federal funds in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola. The case is set for a further status hearing on Oct. 3 before Judge James Robertson. Thompson faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and an obligation to make restitution for the amounts embezzled from Amtrak.
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Rail Safety Focus of International Conference

September 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Demonstrating an international commitment to railroad safety, senior safety professionals and government officials from around the world plan to convene in Denver, CO, October 5 thru 10, at the 18th Annual International Railway Safety Conference to discuss rail safety issues. The rail safety conference, which was first held in 1990, provides a forum for improving rail safety. Conference delegates will present papers and discuss different aspects of railroad safety, including accident prevention, environmental responsibility and international harmonization of infrastructure. “Safety is the railroad industry’s number one priority and this conference will help us better appreciate new methods for
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U.S. DOT Report Identifies Freight Railroads’ Role in Amtrak Train Delays

September 25, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Improper dispatching practices and poor operating discipline by freight railroads are among the key reasons why Amtrak trains suffer poor on-time performance on tracks operated by those host freight railroads. That’s the upshot of “Root Causes of Amtrak Train Delays,” a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. The DOT IG issued the report in response to a request from the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. More than 70 percent of the miles traveled by Amtrak trains are operated over tracks owned by other railroads. Federal law requires that, except in emergencies or as