Amtrak – Page 54 – Railfanning.org

Amtrak Partners with Carbonfund.org to Offer Passengers Carbon Offsets for Rail Travel

December 18, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak passengers can now travel even greener. Through a new partnership between the railroad and Carbonfund.org, passengers can offset the carbon emissions footprint generated by their individual rail travel by making a contribution to Carbonfund.org. Selections start at only $3.00, a contribution which offsets 2,500 miles of Amtrak travel, or almost three round trips between Washington and Boston. All contributions are tax deductible and may be made online. “By choosing to travel by rail, Amtrak passengers are already a step ahead because the carbon footprint generated by their trip is smaller than that of most other modes of transportation,”

New York, Amtrak Resolve Empire Coridor High-Speed Rail Project Dispute

December 13, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — Amtrak and the state of New York have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit over their plan to run high-speed trains between New York City and Albany, the state’s capitol. Under the terms of the settlement, Amtrak will pay New York state $20 million. In addition, New York and Amtrak will jointly invest $10 million in infrastructure improvement projects on the so-called Albany to New York City Empire Corridor, which was approved by the New York State Senate High-Speed Rail Task Force. “This settlement now allows both Amtrak and the State of New York to concentrate on

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