WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Democrats representing states along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund Amtrak’s funding request in the upcoming Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill.
The Senators also unveiled a new report from the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center detailing all the unfunded and underfunded safety and infrastructure projects along the Northeast Corridor that desperately need this funding. For years, Amtrak has been underfunded, causing Amtrak officials to have to choose between safety and infrastructure upgrades and contributing to a $21 billion backlog.
Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member on the THUD subcommittee, Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) made the announcement at a press conference in the US Capitol Building.
On Tuesday night, an Amtrak train spectacularly derailed on its way through Philadelphia, killing at least seven people. On Wednesday morning, a House appropriations subcommittee voted to cut federal funding for Amtrak by about 20 percent. Those are two dots Republicans don’t want you to connect.
“Don’t use this tragedy in that way,” Rep. Mike Simpson is quoted in a POLITICO article as saying, after Democrats on the appropriations subcommittee for transportation and housing criticized Republicans for proposing and eventually approving the cuts.
The vote took place before news reports that the train may have been going around a curve at speeds of about 100 miles per hour when the derailment occurred. If those reports had surfaced earlier, the Republican objections to linking budget cuts to the derailment would likely have been much louder.
At least seven people were killed and over 200 people hurt after an Amtrak train, carrying 238 passengers and five crew members, derailed and rolled onto its side in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia Tuesday night, according to officials.
Police said Wednesday that seven people had died, after the death toll had risen to six earlier when Temple University Hospital officials confirmed one patient had died of their injuries overnight.
All seven cars of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 derailed and came off the tracks near Frankford Junction on the 2000 block of Wheatsheaf lane shortly after 9 p.m., officials said. The train was heading to New York from Washington, D.C., and has six passenger cars as well as an engine.
RALEIGH, N.C. — A lawsuit filed Friday, May 1 by Amtrak and CSX alleges that a trucking company caused a March train derailment that injured 55 people by failing to take safety precautions or warn that the track was blocked.
The lawsuit in a Raleigh federal court blames Guy M. Turner Inc. of Greensboro for the March 9 crash in which an Amtrak passenger train collided with an oversized tractor-trailer.
The lawsuit says the driver blocked the crossing in disregard of safety signs and failed to notify CSX, which owns the track, or Amtrak that the railway was blocked. It also says that the trucking company’s Turner Transfer division failed to take reasonable safety precautions.
Commuters could be hit with an NJ Transit fare increase that might reach 9 percent in fiscal year 2016, based on budget documents for the coming year.
NJ Transit’s budget documents said revenue from fares would increase by 8.8 percent, from the $928.6 million earned in fiscal year 2015 to $1.01 billion in 2016, according to an Office of Legislative Services’ review of NJ Transit’s financials.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is partnering with NOOK by Barnes & Noble, Chuggington and others at select Amtrak Train Days (ATD) events taking place across the country this spring, summer and fall. These celebrations are occurring in more than 20 locations with the official kick-off event at Chicago Union Station on May 9, 2015. ATD events will feature various components of the Amtrak experience at each location (a dedicated tour of the Amtrak Exhibit Train in select markets, interactive displays, excursion trains and tours). ATD tour and Amtrak Exhibit Train stops through June include:
The Amtrak and NOOK by Barnes & Noble partnership will create an enhanced travel experience by leveraging expert booksellers to curate a collection of free eBooks and e- magazines for Amtrak passengers – perfect for enjoying a comfortable train ride. Passengers will be thrilled to access bestselling titles from top publishers that have been customized to appeal to every reading preference, including classics, romances, mysteries, thrillers, children’s and business titles. To get ready for the Amtrak and NOOK promotion, you can install the free NOOK reading app today on your Android or iOS device by visiting www.NOOKapp.com. Chuggington, the sponsor of The Chuggington Kids Depot and Chuggington Live (at our Chicago kick-off event) joins Amtrak with train-themed kids’ activities based on the popular ATK-15-021 children’s animated television series, Chuggington, on Disney Junior. Other partners include Operation Lifesaver, Amtrak Vacations and local and state partner affiliates. This year, Amtrak is expanding its community program from multiple events on a single day to individual events over the course of the spring, summer and fall. Amtrak Train Days will focus on reaching current and new audiences across America to reinforce the importance, benefits and value of passenger train travel. Communities from across the nation are invited to join in the celebration of passenger train travel by hosting their own ATD events during 2015. To register an event, find additional tour stops or for more information about ATD, visit AmtrakTrainDays.com. Amtrak Train Days 2015 Sweepstakes is running from May 9 – Nov. 30. One Grand Prize winner will win a trip for four people courtesy of Amtrak Vacations, one Chuggington Prize Pack and a Walthers Model Train Set. Winners will be chosen on Dec. 1, 2015.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is partnering with NOOK by Barnes & Noble, Chuggington and others at select Amtrak Train Days (ATD) events taking place across the country this spring, summer and fall. These celebrations are occurring in more than 20 locations with the official kick-off event at Chicago Union Station on May 9, 2015.
ATD events will feature various components of the Amtrak experience at each location (a dedicated tour of the Amtrak Exhibit Train in select markets, interactive displays, excursion trains and tours). ATD tour and Amtrak Exhibit Train stops through June include:
The Amtrak and NOOK by Barnes & Noble partnership will create an enhanced travel experience by leveraging expert booksellers to curate a collection of free eBooks and e- magazines for Amtrak passengers – perfect for enjoying a comfortable train ride. Passengers will be thrilled to access bestselling titles from top publishers that have been customized to appeal to every reading preference, including classics, romances, mysteries, thrillers, children’s and business titles. To get ready for the Amtrak and NOOK promotion, you can install the free NOOK reading app today on your Android or iOS device by visiting www.NOOKapp.com.
Chuggington, the sponsor of The Chuggington Kids Depot and Chuggington Live (at our Chicago kick-off event) joins Amtrak with train-themed kids’ activities based on the popular ATK-15-021 children’s animated television series, Chuggington, on Disney Junior. Other partners include Operation Lifesaver, Amtrak Vacations and local and state partner affiliates.
This year, Amtrak is expanding its community program from multiple events on a single day to individual events over the course of the spring, summer and fall. Amtrak Train Days will focus on reaching current and new audiences across America to reinforce the importance, benefits and value of passenger train travel.
Communities from across the nation are invited to join in the celebration of passenger train travel by hosting their own ATD events during 2015. To register an event, find additional tour stops or for more information about ATD, visit AmtrakTrainDays.com.
Amtrak Train Days 2015 Sweepstakes is running from May 9 – Nov. 30. One Grand Prize winner will win a trip for four people courtesy of Amtrak Vacations, one Chuggington Prize Pack and a Walthers Model Train Set. Winners will be chosen on Dec. 1, 2015.
The FBI on Friday will offer a new reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for a train derailment caused by an act sabotage in Arizona – nearly 20 years after it occurred.
The FBI did not say why the new reward is being offered now to find whoever sabotaged rail tracks in a remote area 70 miles southwest of Phoenix and caused the Amtrak passenger train the Sunset Limited to derail and fall off a bridge at around 1:35 a.m. on Oct. 9, 1995.
The uncertain path of Amtrak’s Hoosier State line took another curve Monday when state officials said they are close to a deal to keep it running for the long term.
The Indiana Department of Transportation said it has reached an “understanding” with federal railway officials to keep the Chicago-to-Indianapolis route running.
Funding to save the Southwest Chief did not make it into the budget proposed by the Colorado legislature this week, Colorado State Legislative Director Carl Smith reports.
“We must now seek support from Gov. Hickenlooper and the Joint Budget Committee, which will review appropriation requests beyond the current proposed budget,” Smith said. “We need to get their attention and approval as soon as possible. Please call the governor and the following legislators and ask them to fund the Southwest Chief Commission.
“This train is essential to Colorado’s transportation system,” Smith said. “You might also remind Gov. Hickenlooper that he committed to finding funding for the train at the bill signing last year.”
Hickenlooper’s office phone number is (303) 866-2471.
For funding to pass, the bill needs the support of the following members from the state’s Joint Budget Committee:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Democrats representing states along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund Amtrak’s funding request in the upcoming Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill.
RALEIGH, N.C. — A lawsuit filed Friday, May 1 by Amtrak and CSX alleges that a trucking company caused a March train derailment that injured 55 people by failing to take safety precautions or warn that the track was blocked.