The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a report measuring the performance and service quality of Amtrak intercity passenger train operations for first-quarter 2022 (ending Dec. 31, 2021). Among the findings: the Auto Train, Capitol Limited and Sunset Limited were delayed most.
Amtrak’s plans to save costs and consolidate personnel/functions in a Delaware building it purchased for $41.1 million in May 2020 “have not materialized because it didn’t effectively verify the feasibility of its plan before it made the purchase,” according to a new report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The witness phase of the slugout between Amtrak on one side and CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS) and the Port of Mobile on the other, ended May 12 as its 11th day concluded. It ended not with T.S. Eliot’s oft-quoted “whimper” but truly with a bang.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has established the Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program that “will serve as a key vehicle for directing federal investments and technical assistance toward new or improved intercity passenger rail services across the nation.” Amtrak expressed its support.
“Despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic, we have successfully pursued our strategic plan, including the unveiling of our new fleet and the advancement of the High Frequency Rail project,” VIA Rail Canada Board Chair Françoise Bertrand said upon release of the railroad’s 2021 Annual Report.
New hires and existing employees will have the opportunity to develop skills in various crafts through a new apprenticeship pilot program, Amtrak reported on May 10.
RAILWAY AGE, MAY 2022 ISSUE: Our third annual Readers’ Influential Leaders online poll garnered nominations for a large number of active (non-retired) people from all areas of the North American railway industry. A commitment to service, safety and sustainability is how our 2022 honorees—selected by our subscribers—approach their roles. We are pleased to present the top 10 nominees, plus five leaders receiving Honorable Mentions.
The May 2022 issue of Railway Age is available digitally, showcasing the honorees of our third-annual Readers’ Influential Leaders poll and covering signal failure avoidance, North American locomotive fleet stats, and more.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will repair 28 stations this year as part of its “Refresh & Renew” program. Also, Chicago’s Metra has broken ground on an Electric Line commuter rail station rehab project; and Metrolinx, the Toronto-area regional transit agency, has awarded an approximately C$62 million Railway Track, Signal and Station Works contract for the Kitchener GO Corridor Expansion project.
Railway Age’s Eighth Annual Rail Insights Conference, presented virtually, features a dialogue with the industry’s leadership on key strategic challenges, issues and trends. The conference explores what is affecting business growth, capital investment, technology, regulation, service quality and safety in the North American rail market — freight and passenger.
