Amtrak – Page 58 – Railfanning.org

Officials Announce Second Amtrak Cascades Train to Canada

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 location. The new passenger rail service could begin operating in

Amtrak, Union Pacific Reach Agreement for Passenger Train Performance Plan

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 track conditions require reduced speeds and are then removed as

Amtrak Adjusts Schedule of Pere Marquette to Accommodate Track Work

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, they will eventually benefit from the track improvements with a

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

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 the route as-is would generate only 34,000 passengers annually, including

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

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 of input we have received from the community that there

Ridership Surges as Amtrak Celebrates National Transportation Week

WASHINGTON – In recognition of National Transportation Week, Amtrak today announced that ridership across the country reached 14.3 million during the first seven months of the fiscal year, an increase of 5 percent over last year. The biggest growth was in Amtrak’s short-distance corridors outside the Northeast — routes of 500 miles or less — with more than 12.3 million passengers traveling. The Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (Washington, DC – New York – Boston) continues to be the railroad’s busiest route, with 5.7 million passengers traveling during the first seven months of the fiscal year (October 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007). This was an increase from 5.4 million passengers during

Customers On SEPTA’s Paoli Line and Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor To Enjoy a Smoother Rider After Trackwork

PHILADELPHIA – Customers on SEPTA’s Regional Rail R5 Paoli-Thorndale Line and Amtrak’s Keystone Service will soon enjoy a smoother ride as Amtrak embarks on a major trackwork project between Paoli and Philadelphia. Scheduled to begin May 7 and continue through mid-November, the trackwork will cause adjustments to the schedules of trains that travel through the area, but in the end will result in more reliable service. During the project, SEPTA passengers will get a sneak peak at what the trackwork means to their daily commute as trains will operate over tracks that have already been upgraded. The trackwork, which is being funded by SEPTA, calls for the installation of concrete

Gala Celebration and Amtrak Equipment Display to Open Restored Hattiesburg Depot

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Long known as The Hub City, Hattiesburg now has an Intermodal Transportation Facility at 308 Newman Street that will enable passengers on daily Amtrak Crescent trains to enjoy visiting the Pine Belt community of more than 130,000 and to connect with local transit. In order to celebrate the official opening of the depot this weekend, a black-tie Grand Gala will be held at the station this Friday night and a ribbon-cutting will be staged this Saturday afternoon. Amtrak will display railcars and a locomotive at the station during the gala on Friday night and following the ribbon-cutting at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 this Saturday evening. Hattiesburg is

Amtrak Named “Best of America” by Reader’s Digest for Its Campus Visit Program

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has been named “Best of America” by the editors of Reader’s Digest magazine for the railroad’s highly popular Campus Visit Program. The program which allows prospective college students to bring along a parent and or guardian for free on Amtrak, when visiting colleges and universities, is available to students nationwide. After speaking to hundreds of experts for this special issue, Reader’s Digest editors rated the Campus Visit Program as the “best transportation” and “travel twofer” under its “America’s 100 Best” category. The program is featured in the publication’s May, 2007 issue. “It is certainly gratifying for Reader’s Digest to acknowledge the popularity and the value provided by

NARP: Don’t Cut Rail Service

WASHINGTON — Citing increased demand for passenger rail service and rising gas prices, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) urged Congress to invest $1.68 billion in Amtrak next year and to steer clear of route-cutting discussions. This amount is what Amtrak requested, and includes $100 million for matching grants for a state corridor development program. In a statement submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, NARP Executive Director Ross Capon noted that expanding Amtrak’s network would drive economies of scale. “The most effective strategy to improve the economic efficiency of all of its routes is to focus on actions that increase