Amtrak – Page 57 – Railfanning.org

Amtrak Partners with GrandLuxe to Offer Luxury Rail Service

September 6, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Beginning this fall, passengers traveling on select Amtrak routes will have the option of lingering over five-course dinners, sleeping in luxurious suites and enjoying personal butler service. The premium service is being made possible by a new partnership between GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, the country’s premier, private rail tour operator, and Amtrak, the national passenger rail service. This is the first time in history that luxury accommodations have been offered on multiple Amtrak routes throughout the country. Called GrandLuxe Limited, the new service uses a separate, private, seven-car luxury train attached to several regularly scheduled Amtrak trains. The GrandLuxe

Amtrak Cascades Schedules Adjusted Based on Experience with Substitute Railcars

August 30, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND — Additional Amtrak railcars — coming from as far away as the East Coast — have arrived in the Pacific Northwest as a substitute for Talgo railcars that are sidelined because of a maintenance issue, Amtrak said. Motorcoaches are also available, with buses covering some of the scheduled train frequencies. New schedules will start Wednesday, Sept. 5. “One of the advantages of Amtrak as an operator of state-supported service is a nationwide equipment pool with experts in operations and scheduling,” said Kurt Laird, the Seattle-based Amtrak District Superintendent. “We are working closely with the states of Washington and Oregon in order to restore frequencies using

Trucker Killed in Crash with Amtrak

July 17, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

PLANT CITY, Fla. — A truck driver was killed Tuesday, July 17, after an Amtrak train crashed into his truck, the second fatal Amtrak wreck in as many days. “Witnesses tell us that it was obvious the train was coming, the train was hitting all of its whistles at the appropriate whistle marks,” The Associated Press quoted Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Larry Coggins as saying. “The truck drove onto the tracks in front of the oncoming train.” No one on board the train was hurt in the derailment, authorities said. A day earlier, four people were killed after an Amtrak

Four Killed in Florida Crash

July 16, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

LAKELAND, Fla. — Four people were killed Monday, July 16, after an Amtrak train crashed with a car whose driver circumvented crossing gates. “The car is totally demolished,” The Associated Press quoted Lakeland police spokesman Jack Gillen as saying. The train, the Silver star, travels between Miami and New York. At the time of the crash, more than 160 people were on board, authorities said.

Amtrak and GrandLuxe Team Up to Provide Luxury Rail Service Between Washington, D.C. and Miami

June 27, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

EVERGREEN, Colo. — Rail passengers traveling on the Amtrak route between Washington, D.C. and Miami will soon have the option of lingering over five-course dinners, sleeping in luxurious suites and enjoying personal butler service. Called GrandLuxe Limited, the new service uses a separate, private, seven-car luxury train attached to Amtrak’s Silver Meteor to transport passengers between the nation’s capital and sunny Florida. The premium service is being made possible by a new partnership between GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, the country’s premier private rail tour operator, and Amtrak, the national passenger rail service. The GrandLuxe train, which features Dining, Lounge and Sleeping

Officials Announce Second Amtrak Cascades Train to Canada

June 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE, Wash. – Washington state, British Columbia, BNSF Railway Co. and Amtrak have reached an agreement to make infrastructure improvements that will permit a second daily Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Governor Chris Gregoire and Premier Gordon Campbell made the announcement June 8 at the King Street Station in downtown Seattle. The Province of British Columbia, Amtrak, and BNSF are funding this $7 million project, which includes construction of a new 11,000-foot siding track near Colebrook Road in Delta, B.C. The new siding track will allow for passenger and freight trains to pass one another at this

Amtrak, Union Pacific Reach Agreement for Passenger Train Performance Plan

June 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad have reached an agreement on a performance plan to reduce passenger train delays attributed to track conditions. Under the agreement, Union Pacific will limit speed restrictions that can cause Amtrak trains to fall behind schedule on Union Pacific’s routes. Union Pacific is the nation’s largest railroad and is one of the three biggest hosts of Amtrak service, including short-distance trains and parts of four overnight routes in the West, Pacific Northwest and Midwest. Imposing temporary speed restrictions is a common railroad practice. Frequently called “slow orders,” these restrictions are put into effect when

Amtrak Adjusts Schedule of Pere Marquette to Accommodate Track Work

May 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak is temporarily adjusting the westbound schedule for the Pere Marquette service on the Chicago-Grand Rapids route to accommodate track work planned by CSX Transportation, the owner of the train’s route in Michigan. The temporary schedule will begin June 4 and continue through June 21, 2007. The westbound Pere Marquette (Train 371) will be scheduled to operate one hour earlier from all stations. The eastbound Pere Marquette (Train 370) schedule is unaffected. These changes will compensate for anticipated delays due to the track work. “While we recognize this temporary schedule change might cause some inconvenience for our passengers,

Amtrak Delivers Study of Passenger Rail Service between St. Louis and Springfield, Mo.

May 23, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak has provided a report to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that shows formidable obstacles to possible passenger rail service between St. Louis and Springfield, Mo. The report requested by MoDOT found strategic merit to the proposed route, including serving the state’s third largest metropolitan area, tourism potential, and connections to Amtrak’s national rail service. However, it would also require an initial significant capital investment and ongoing state operating support. The lack of a competitive trip time versus that of automobiles and a lower than expected ridership projection were also cited as concerns. Specifically, the report found

Amtrak-Illinois DOT Feasibility Study Determines Most Direct Route Best for Service to Rockford, Northwestern Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa

May 16, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – After a period of extensive public involvement, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has chosen the most direct route as the best choice of four options for restoring rail service to a section of the state which lost passenger rail service more than 25 years ago. Following three community meetings and a web-based public comment period, IDOT has asked Amtrak to work with the CN railroad, which owns the tracks, to restore state-supported service when funding becomes available. “It is clear from the series of public meetings we’ve held over the last few months and the extensive amount