Empire Builder

Amtrak plans new Seattle locomotive center

Amtrak will build a $28-million locomotive service facility in Seattle. The U.S. passenger rail corporation said the project is its third major investment in the Seattle facility that provides services for the

Amtrak stretches Empire Builder schedule in response to BNSF congestion

In recent months, the ontime performance of Amtrak’s Empire Builder has been severely impacted by heavy freight train congestion on host railroad BNSF Railway’s Northern Corridor. A near-exponential spike in crude oil traffic, with loaded trains originating in North Dakota’s Bakken region, is causing a significant portion of the congestion.