Empire Builder Charges Out of Chicago

The Empire Builder, Amtrak’s iconic long-distance train, traces its roots to the Great Northern Railway, which inaugurated service on June 10, 1929. The 21st century version of the train now operates with state-of-the-art diesel-electric power:

New Jersey Transit is ordering 25 Multilevel III commuter cars from Alstom.

NJT Ordering 25 Multilevels, Names New Rail Ops Leader

New Jersey Transit will exercise an option with Alstom for 25 additional Multilevel III commuter railcars, following Board approval on Feb. 9. Also, James Sincaglia has assumed the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Rail Operations at the agency, after serving in an acting capacity.

Gulf Coast Battle: CSX Seeks Shipper Support; Amtrak Advocates Respond (UPDATED)

As the battle between Amtrak and potential host freight railroads CSX and NS over proposed passenger trains between New Orleans and Mobile heats up, CSX has turned up the heat another notch.

Amtrak is partnering with the states of New York and New Jersey to upgrade and replace “essential rail infrastructure” between Newark, N.J., and New York’s Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) by 2035, at an estimated cost of more than $30 billion.

For ‘Gateway’ Success, Amtrak Needs Better Program Management

Amtrak needs a comprehensive program management framework to govern how it will complete work across Gateway projects, a new Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found.

The Amtrak OIG on Feb. 2 released a new report: “GOVERNANCE: Amtrak Has Begun to Address State Partners’ Concerns About Shared Costs But Has More Work to Do to Improve Relationships.”

Amtrak’s Homework: Address State-Partner Cost-Sharing Concerns

Amtrak has more work to do to improve relationships and trust among its state partners regarding cost-sharing, a new Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found.

Commentary

STB Sets Gulf Coast Hearing, But Amtrak Loses Pre-Hearing Round

Decision Day draws closer in the tussle between Amtrak and potential host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) over whether or not there will be passenger trains running between New Orleans and Mobile in the near future.

The proposed three-mile Omaha line would run on an east-west alignment along adjacent Farnam and Harney streets, from 10th to 31st streets. Officials hope it can be up and running by 2026.

A Streetcar for Omaha?

Omaha might get a new streetcar line in a few years, at least if Mayor Jean Stothert has her way, but a local senator objects to the plan because he does not like the way downtown Omaha would be described.

UP, Amtrak Earn High Marks on Corporate Equality Index

Union Pacific (UP) and Amtrak on Jan. 27 reported receiving ratings of 100% and 90%, respectively, on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for 2022.

More than 300 people rode Amtrak’s Gulf Coast Inspection Train (pictured) from New Orleans to Jacksonville, Fla., in February 2016, as part of an ongoing effort to restore passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast, which was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and never resumed. (Marc Glucksman, Amtrak)

DOT to STB: ‘Set a Precedent’ in Amtrak Gulf Coast Case

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have been allowed to file additional comments with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regarding Amtrak’s application to operate Gulf Coast service.

An ACS64-led Amtrak Northeast Regional train prepares to depart Penn Station New York, bound for Washington, D.C. William C. Vantuono photo

FTA Increases Hudson Tunnel Project Rating to ‘Medium-High’

The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) on Jan. 20 announced new ratings for six projects seeking funding from the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program—one was for the Hudson Tunnel Project and the others for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects.

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