INSIDER
‘We can’t put more cars & trucks on IH-35′: Sakai pushes for improved passenger rail service
Read full article: ‘We can’t put more cars & trucks on IH-35′: Sakai pushes for improved passenger rail serviceBexar County Judge Peter Sakai and San Antonio City Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda rode an Amtrak train from San Antonio to Austin on Monday morning in an effort to promote the importance of improved rail service in the region.
Lawsuit says Norfolk Southern's freight trains cause chronic delays for Amtrak
Read full article: Lawsuit says Norfolk Southern's freight trains cause chronic delays for AmtrakThe federal government alleges in a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern that the railroad has been causing chronic delays for Amtrak between New York and New Orleans by forcing the passenger trains to wait while its massive freight trains pass.
Amtrak service between New York City and Boston restored after lightning causes malfunction
Read full article: Amtrak service between New York City and Boston restored after lightning causes malfunctionAmtrak rail service between New York and Boston has been restored after a lightning strike was believed to have caused a circuit breaker to malfunction.
Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelers
Read full article: Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelersMore than 55 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving this year, and there's no Butterball hotline to help them with any bumps along the way.
Biden administration announces $1.4 billion to improve rail safety and boost capacity in 35 states
Read full article: Biden administration announces $1.4 billion to improve rail safety and boost capacity in 35 statesThe Biden administration has awarded $1.4 billion to projects improving railway safety and boosting rail capacity.
Investigators say poor track conditions caused a 2021 Amtrak derailment in Montana that killed three
Read full article: Investigators say poor track conditions caused a 2021 Amtrak derailment in Montana that killed threeA derailment of an Amtrak train in Montana that killed three people in 2021 was caused by a poor track conditions at the accident site, federal investigators said in a final report.
Amtrak wants to study Mississippi-to-Texas I-20 train route
Read full article: Amtrak wants to study Mississippi-to-Texas I-20 train routeAmtrak and the Southern Rail Commission say they will apply for federal funds to study passenger rail service between Meridian, Mississippi and Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas.
On tap: Booze still allowed on Amtrak in New Hampshire
Read full article: On tap: Booze still allowed on Amtrak in New HampshireRiders on an Amtrak train that runs from Maine to Boston can continue buying alcoholic beverages during the 35-mile stretch of the trip that goes through New Hampshire as officials work out a “creative solution” to avoid violating a state liquor law.
Bent track a factor in Montana Amtrak crash that killed 3
Read full article: Bent track a factor in Montana Amtrak crash that killed 3Investigators probing a fatal 2021 Amtrak train derailment in Montana say the track had been bent along a curve near the accident site and the problem had been getting worse as freight trains traveled over it before the derailment.
BNSF: Rail accident victims should have to use arbitration
Read full article: BNSF: Rail accident victims should have to use arbitrationBNSF Railway says in a federal lawsuit that victims of an Amtrak derailment in Missouri should be required to seek settlements through arbitration, rather than filing lawsuits.
Tentative labor deal averts threat of nationwide rail strike
Read full article: Tentative labor deal averts threat of nationwide rail strikeRail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation’s freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the midterm elections.
From carmakers to refiners, industries brace for rail strike
Read full article: From carmakers to refiners, industries brace for rail strikeCarmakers say buyers might not get the vehicle they want on time, commuter rail lines could see service disrupted, and shipments from everything from oil to livestock feed could be disrupted.
1 rail union rejects deal, 2 accept ahead of strike deadline
Read full article: 1 rail union rejects deal, 2 accept ahead of strike deadlineMembers of one union have rejected a tentative deal with the largest U.S. freight railroads, while two ratified agreements and three other unions remained at the bargaining table just days ahead of a national strike deadline.
Businesses, White House plan for possible rail strike Friday
Read full article: Businesses, White House plan for possible rail strike FridayBusiness and government officials are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike at the end of this week while talks carry on between the largest U.S. freight railroads and their unions.
Passenger rail return to Vermont city took vision, decades
Read full article: Passenger rail return to Vermont city took vision, decadesPassenger rail service is returning to Vermont's largest city after an absence of almost 70 years as part of a renewal in interest in passenger rail service nationwide.
Official: Upgrades urged at Amtrak crash site, but no action
Read full article: Official: Upgrades urged at Amtrak crash site, but no actionThe chief elected official in the Missouri county where an Amtrak train slammed into a dump truck says residents and county leaders have been pushing for a safety upgrade at the railroad crossing for nearly three years.
3 killed, dozens hurt in Amtrak train crash in Missouri
Read full article: 3 killed, dozens hurt in Amtrak train crash in MissouriThree people were killed and dozens others were injured Monday when an Amtrak passenger train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago struck a dump truck and derailed in a remote, rural area of Missouri.
Cause of Montana Amtrak derailment still under investigation
Read full article: Cause of Montana Amtrak derailment still under investigationA preliminary report on an Amtrak train derailment in Montana last month that killed three people and injured dozens more offered no clues about what triggered the accident.
DEA agent, gunman killed in Amtrak train shooting in Arizona
Read full article: DEA agent, gunman killed in Amtrak train shooting in ArizonaAuthorities say a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent was killed when a passenger opened fire as officers were doing a routine inspection for illegal contraband on an Amtrak train in Tucson, Arizona.
Amtrak train that derailed was going just under speed limit
Read full article: Amtrak train that derailed was going just under speed limitAn Amtrak train that derailed in rural Montana over the weekend was going just under the speed limit at about 75 mph (121 kph) when it went off the track along a gradual curve.
Investigators probe deadly Amtrak derailment in Montana
Read full article: Investigators probe deadly Amtrak derailment in MontanaFederal officials sent a team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board to the site of an Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized Sunday.
Rail officials push 15-year plan to boost Northeast Corridor
Read full article: Rail officials push 15-year plan to boost Northeast CorridorAs Congress eyes an infrastructure package, a coalition of transportation agencies and Amtrak has released a 15-year plan of rail improvements for the congested Northeast Corridor.
Touting new trains, Amtrak CEO foresees riders heading back
Read full article: Touting new trains, Amtrak CEO foresees riders heading backAmtrak CEO William Flynn says that plans to spend $7.3 billion on 83 new trains to replace some that are 50 years old will speed up travel, make it more comfortable, and will help clean the environment.
The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 personnel fully vaccinated
Read full article: The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 personnel fully vaccinatedThe U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which it began administering on January 5.
Amtrak promises more service between San Antonio and other Texas cities if infrastructure plan passes
Read full article: Amtrak promises more service between San Antonio and other Texas cities if infrastructure plan passesAmtrak has big plans for expanded service in Texas if President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan moves forward as proposed. Along with funding for road construction and maintenance, the plan also contains $80 billion aimed at expanding rail service.
In a leaky underwater rail tunnel, workers race against time
Read full article: In a leaky underwater rail tunnel, workers race against timeAmtrak workers perform tunnel repairs to a partially flooded train track bed, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Weehawken, N.J. With a new rail tunnel into New York years away at best, Amtrak is embarking on an aggressive and expensive program to fix a 110-year-old tunnel in the interim. On a recent Saturday morning, workers used heavy machinery to clear away chunks of the tunnel floor after rails and wooden ties had been removed. “If we had a new tunnel we wouldn’t be spending anything on it,” Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia said. On a broader scale, it must keep the tunnel operating reliably for years until a new tunnel is built and the old one can be closed for a complete overhaul. Against that backdrop, a funding dispute between local lawmakers and the administration for former President Donald Trump stalled the new tunnel project for four years.
Buttigieg to quarantine after security agent gets COVID-19
Read full article: Buttigieg to quarantine after security agent gets COVID-19WASHINGTON – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will quarantine for 14 days after a member of his security detail tested positive Monday for the coronavirus. The agent had been “in close contact” with Buttigieg, including Monday morning prior to the agent’s positive result, the Transportation Department said in a statement. Following contact tracing protocols, the department said it determined that one other person in the security detail had also been in “close contact” with the agent and will also quarantine for 14 days. Ad“We will continue to prioritize safety as the foundation of everything we do,” Buttigieg told department employees in an email message last week. “We know it’s the appropriate measure for international travel, people traveling into the U.S.,” partly because of the threat of virus variants from other countries, Buttigieg told CNN.
'A long two days': Major storm pummels Northeast with snow
Read full article: 'A long two days': Major storm pummels Northeast with snowAlthough the heaviest parts of the storm had moved through the metropolitan area by Monday evening, lighter snow showers were expected to continue virtually all day Tuesday, forecaster James Tomasini said. “We’re looking at a long two days here,” New York Gov. Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday. AdHundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and aboveground New York City subway service stopped at 2 p.m. In recent days, a storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest, with some areas getting the most snow in several years.
Unions: Passenger rails need better security, no-ride list
Read full article: Unions: Passenger rails need better security, no-ride listFILE - In this Jan. 1, 2021 file photo, The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge overlooks the newly-completed Moynihan Train Hall in New York. Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger rail lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. The unions said Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, that tougher security measures are needed after last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol because people who took part in the insurrection that were placed on the no-fly list may turn to railroads for transportation. – Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. The unions also asked the Federal Railroad Administration to intervene and require more security.
NYC begins registering travelers at COVID-19 checkpoints
Read full article: NYC begins registering travelers at COVID-19 checkpointsMayor Bill de Blasio is asking travelers from 34 states, including Florida where COVID-19 infection rates are high, to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the city. Authorities said this week a fifth of all new coronavirus cases in New York City have been from travelers entering the city from other states. Despite the specter of fines, the checkpoints are more educational than punitive, and officials acknowledged the effort relies on voluntary compliance. The campaign was criticized for sowing confusion and raising questions about how travelers' personal information would be retained. He said officials have made more than 86,000 phone calls and sent more than 20,000 text messages to travelers entering New York City from states with high coronavirus infection rates.
WATCH: Amtrak train crashes into 18-wheeler in Cibolo
Read full article: WATCH: Amtrak train crashes into 18-wheeler in CiboloCIBOLO, Texas – An Amtrak train slammed into an 18-wheeler Tuesday morning in Cibolo. According to a tweet from the Cibolo Police Department, the crash happened at FM 78 and Country Lane. No injuries were reported. Cibolo police are urging truck drivers to be aware of their route and to be careful when trying to go over railroad crossings.