Amtrak – Page 55 – Railfanning.org

Amtrak Service Disrupted Following Mudslides

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 visit Amtrak.com for additional information and train status updates. —

Chicago Derailment Under Investigation

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 their destinations. Amtrak will work through the weekend, if needed,

Amtrak, Norfolk Southern Trains Collide in Chicago

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 crew members. Following the derailment, uninjured passengers and their belongings

In Advance of Amtrak Strike, Bush Appoints Presidential Emergency Board

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 sections of the country of essential transportation service,” Bush said

Milwaukee Intermodal Station Dedicated

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 new lobby area serving Amtrak and intercity bus customers, as

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

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 additional redevelopment in their community. A forthcoming deadline to meet

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

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 when 69,000 passengers are carried. Over the span of the

Amtrak Board Elects Donna McLean Chairman

WASHINGTON – Donna McLean was elected Chairman of Amtrak’s Board of Directors at the Nov. 8. McLean, who was appointed to the board by President Bush and approved by the Senate in July 2006, had served as Vice Chairman of the Board. She replaces former Chairman David M. Laney, who remains a board member until his term expires in late November 2007. As Chairman of the Board, McLean will lead the board of Amtrak, the nation’s intercity passenger railroad, which operates in 46 states on a 21,000-mile system serving more than 500 stations. A former official at the U.S. Department of Transportation, she is owner of Donna McLean Associates, LLC, a Washington,

Amtrak Acela Express Wrapped for The History Channel Promotion for Special ‘1968 with Tom Brokaw’

NEW YORK – Amtrak and The History Channel are teaming up to promote the upcoming special “1968 with Tom Brokaw” with the first-ever train wrap of an Acela Express train. Beginning Nov. 12 and continuing through Dec. 9, one Acela Express will travel along the Northeast Corridor bearing historical images from the year 1968.The promotion includes an exterior wrap of the train as well as interior signage promoting the special on The History Channel. The exterior wrap, made of vinyl, will appear on both sides of the two locomotives and six cars of the train. The wrap, while clearly visible from the outside, will not impede the view out the

Senate Approves $11 Billion for Amtrak

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate last week passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007with a 70-22 vote. This Amtrak reauthorization legislation provides $11.4 billion over six years to preserve America’s national passenger rail service. The legislation institutes additional Amtrak reforms aimed at reducing its reliance on federal subsidies by at least 40 percent during the bill’s life. “Preserving national passenger rail service shouldn’t be based on partisan ideology or Amtrak’s profit margins,” Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said. “Preserving Amtrak is about ensuring that America has a complete transportation system – one that includes planes, trains, lanes and ports.” The legislation increases Amtrak’s bonding authority, and it provides