Amtrak – Page 60 – Railfanning.org

Amtrak Trains Roll Out of New Orleans Starting Oct. 9

October 9, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Passenger rail service from New Orleans, suspended since Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast in later August, returned to the Big Easy Oct. with the departures of the City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and the Crescent to Atlanta and New York, according to Amtrak. The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, Amtrak facilities and the rail lines owned by the CN Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway leading into the city sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. “We are proud to restore our operations to and from New Orleans to both serve passengers and

Railroads Return to Service After Hurricanes Pound Gulf Coast

October 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

Major railroads worked to return service after a pair of hurricanes pounded the Gulf Coast, left thousands homeless and destroyed much of the region’s infrastructure.

A Brewing Battle: Poor Management Leads to Millions in Losses

September 15, 2005 The Cross-Tie

WASHINGTON — Poor management controls of Amtrak’s food and beverage service lead to millions in losses annually, reports reveal. The Amtrak Inspector General (IG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), at a recent Congressional hearing, outlined their separate reviews of Amtrak’s food and beverage service and the substantial losses incurred by Amtrak due to poor management. According to the IG’s review, Amtrak’s food and beverage operations lose up to $150 million each year. The IG figures do not incorporate losses resulting from theft, which were discussed in the hearing as being significant. The GAO review found that for every dollar

Hurricane Katrina Causes Rail Disruptions in La., Miss.

September 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

Due to Hurricane Katrina and severe damage across the Southeast, Amtrak had little choice but to implement a revised service plan for three trains that pass through New Orleans.

Poor Management Leads to Millions in Losses

September 1, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

Nation’s, World’s Transit Systems on High Alert Following London Blasts; House OKs New Rail Terror Penalties

August 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

Transportation systems and railroads throughout the United States — and the world — went on high alert following terrorist attacks in London.

Amtrak’s Grounded Acela Returns to Service on N.E. Corridor

August 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

WASHINGTON – The first Acela Express trains returned to service July 11 with four daily departures from New York and Washington, marking an end to a roughly three-month service disruption, Amtrak announced. Throughout July, Amtrak announced weekday Acela Express service between New York and Washington beginning Monday, as well as weekend service starting July 16 on the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak suspended the trains’ operations after the discovery of cracks on the spokes of brake discs on April 15. The first trains to return operated Monday-Friday with two morning and two afternoon departures from New York and Washington, and served all

Amtrak: New, More Convenient Schedules Between New York and Florida

July 25, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Beginning Monday August 1, Amtrak’s daily Silver Service trains will operate on new schedules between New York and Miami, creating more desirable arrival and departure times in several cities along the trains’ routes and improving connections to trains traveling to other areas of the country. The new schedules mean: Later southbound arrival times in Jacksonville and Orlando, allowing passengers a little more sleep and breakfast on-board before reaching their destinations. Earlier northbound departures from Miami allowing passengers from Jacksonville and Orlando an improved choice of afternoon and evening departures for New York and other northeast cities. Passengers from

June 2005 Wreck Roundup

July 15, 2005 The Cross-Tie

A Union Pacific coal train derailed June 26 near Glenwood Springs, Colo., and the mishap stranded 200 passengers aboard an Amtrak train using the same tracks. Eighteen cars of the Union Pacific train derailed, but no coal from any of the cars spilled, WLS television in Chicago reported. Amtrak planned on using buses to transport passengers past the derailment. Eleven cars derailed in Jasper County, Texas, on June 24 and caused more than $1 million in damages, KTRE reported. Although the 74 car Watco Co. train had four cars with hazardous materials, none of them derailed, and no injuries or

Amtrak: Problems Force Acelas Off Tracks, Metroliners Ride Again

May 12, 2005 The Cross-Tie

WASHINGTON — Amtrak suffered yet another blow in April, when its high-speed trains in the Northeast were taken off line, forcing the railroad’s management to add more Metroliners to the schedule. Starting April 25, Metroliner trains were added in most Washington-New York Acela weekday time slots between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. All 13 hourly departures will be covered by Metroliners starting May 2. “We are going to do everything we can to satisfy our passengers, running a reliable schedule that they can count on,” said Amtrak’s Senior Vice President of Operations, William Crosbie. Click here to read more.