Amtrak train 188 derails in Philadelphia; 8 dead

Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188, with 238 passengers and five crew members on board, derailed at Frankford Junction in Philadelphia on the Northeast Corridor, shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Eight people are confirmed dead. More than 200 people were injured, 8 critically. 

Easy on, easy off

Flexible, cost-effective, and safe, Amtrak’s innovative Mobile Passenger Scaffolding benefits passengers and work crews alike.

Examining the DOT v. AAR Supreme Court decision regarding Amtrak

On March 9, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Department of Transportation v. Association of American Railroads, No. 13-1080, 575 U.S. ___ (2015) (DOT v. AAR), a case closely watched in the railroad industry and by those interested in the Constitutional separation of powers issues posed by the case.

Amtrak’s Oregon service under threat

Amtrak’s Cascades service between Portland and Eugene will end if Oregon’s state legislature enacts the budget adopted by its Joint Ways and Means Committee the week of March 30, 2015 that proposes slashing funding for the daily state-backed service on the corridor.
Commentary

Amtrak pen trumps Freedom of Information Act sword

John Mica, the Republican pol from Florida, alleges something fishy with Amtrak’s hamburger prices. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have a beef that Amtrak’s president is chosen by a board of directors rather than facing Senate confirmation.

Pact bodes well for restored Amtrak Montrealer

A U.S.-Canada agreement on cross-border travel and security signed Monday, March 16, 2015 bolsters efforts to restore Amtrak’s Montrealer, discontinued in 1995, particularly if Customs pre-clearance facilities are established to eliminate long dwell times at the U.S.-Canada border.

Amtrak honors Joe Szabo with Chicago dedication

Amtrak on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 dedicated its Chicago railroad operations center as the Joseph C. Szabo Chicago Control Center, “in recognition of Szabo’s contributions to the advancement of intercity passenger rail travel and railroad safety in the United States,” according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

Commentary

Implications aplenty in Supreme Court Amtrak ruling

The Supreme Court March 9 sent back to a federal appellate court for reconsideration a freight railroad challenge to a provision of the 2008 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) that allowed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Amtrak to collaborate in establishing minimum on-time performance standards for Amtrak passenger trains operating on freight railroad-owned track. The 9-0 unanimous decision was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Indiana DOT scuttles Amtrak Hoosier State

The Indiana Department of Transportation on Friday, March 6, 2015, officially pulled the plug on continuing Amtrak’s Hoosier State passenger rail service, with the train’s last day of service now slated for April 1.

Siemens ACS-64 production hits halfway mark

As February ended, Siemens’s Sacramento, Calif., plant sent out its 35th Amtrak Cities Sprinter 64 (ACS-64) electric locomotive, reaching the halfway mark of its planned delivery of 70 units.

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