Amtrak names new CEO
Amtrak announced that it has named William J. Flynn as its next Chief Executive Officer and President. Flynn, a seasoned business leader with four decades of transportation and logistics experience, will begin
Amtrak
Bells & Whistles—2/28/20
Railroad companies might have to deal with another wet spring. Atlanta board passes plan that includes $11 billion for rail transit. Judge removes himself from Purple Line case. Amtrak decides to repair
Gateway Project dream results in heavy maintenance reality for North River Tunnels
With the Gateway Project still a pipe dream, Amtrak has decided it needs to fix the 110-year-old “pipes” that run under the Hudson River in New York.
Missouri owes Amtrak millions of dollars
Amtrak, in conjunction with the state of Missouri, runs a train between St. Louis and Kansas City called the Missouri River Runner. During the last ten years, the Missouri state legislature has not
Locomotive engineer of Amtrak Cascades train 501 suing Amtrak
The Amtrak Cascades passenger train, #501, that derailed near Dupont, Washington on December 18, 2017, was operated by engineer Steven Brown. Brown filed a lawsuit against Amtrak this week, citing physical and emotional
Virginia commits to passenger rail behind mega deal with CSX
The state of Virginia realizes that if it wants to expand passenger rail service in the region it needs to take ownership of the situation. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced an agreement
Amtrak worker dies in electrical accident
The New York Daily News is reporting that an Amtrak employee was electrocuted and two people sustained minor injuries when an explosion occurred at a New York City power substation in Van Nest
Report: Sound Transit top safety officer out
According to a report from The Seattle Times, Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff has removed Chief Executive Safety and Quality Officer Salah Al-Tamimi, as a result of the fatal Amtrak Cascades passenger
Amtrak’s binding arbitration policy under attack from Congress
Over the past several weeks, Railway Track & Structures has been reporting on the new language printed on Amtrak tickets that prevents customers from suing the railroad in the event of an
Bells & Whistles—Calif. wants cleaner air around railroads and railyards, and more
For the Port Authority settlement story, click here. For the STB demurrage story, click here. For the Amtrak passenger story, click here. For the CARB story, click here.
Congress pushing back on Amtrak forced arbitration policy
Earlier this week, RT&S reported that the agreement with Amtrak that every passenger enters when they purchase a ticket now contains an arbitration clause that says, essentially, the passenger cannot sue the railroad
Industrial accident kills Amtrak worker in Chicago
CBS Chicago 2 reports that an industrial accident on Saturday night killed an Amtrak mechanical worker at the company’s yard on 1600 S. Lumber St.
Amtrak – You can’t sue us if we crash
Those who are generally disgruntled with Amtrak have another reason for wishing the rail passenger carrier would change for the better or simply go away. The agreement with Amtrak that every passenger
Amtrak could be losing $42 million per year due to late trains
If Amtrak expects to reach its goal of breaking even by 2021, it must improve its on-time performance significantly. According to a report in Business Insider, the rail passenger carrier’s on-time performance
NTSB releases final report on 2018 Amtrak/CSX train collision in Cayce, S.C.
On Monday, September 30, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its final report on the head-on collision of an Amtrak passenger train with a stopped CSX freight train in Cayce, S.C.
Rail bridge in Washington, D.C., needs help to accommodate increase in train traffic
Officials do not think the Long Bridge in the Washington, D.C., area needs to put on any more muscle. It just needs a companion.
Southern Rail Commission receives $4.36 million grant from U.S. DOT
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced yesterday that DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded $4,360,000 to the Southern Rail Commission to help restore intercity passenger rail service
Canadian Pacific puts Amtrak expansion on hold in Wisconsin, Illinois
Leave it to the state of Illinois to mess up something Wisconsin wants to accomplish.
Amtrak matches Oregon DOT grant application
In support of an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) grant application, Amtrak announced a matching $750,000 contribution to reduce delays in the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor. ODOT’s grant application, if successful, will