Amtrak Updates Winter Service Suspensions

Amtrak on Friday updated its winter storm service cancellations list to include additional service suspensions through Christmas Day.

The service suspensions will hit Midwest corridor service the hardest but the latest round of cancellations also include some eastern corridor trains serving New York State and Vermont.

In the Midwest, Lincoln Service trains 300, 301, 305 and 306 will not resume operating until Dec. 26.

Other Midwest corridor trains that are cancelled through Dec. 26 include Nos. 311 and 316, the Missouri River Runner between St. Louis and Kansas City; Hiawatha Service Nos. Trains 329, 332, 333, 336, 337, 340 and 343 between Chicago and Milwaukee; and Wolverine Service Nos.  352 and 353 between Chicago and Detroit (Pontiac).

The Pere Marquette from Chicago to Grand Rapids will not operate on Dec. 24, but will resume operations on Dec. 25. Its westbound counterpart No. 371 will not resume operating from Grand Rapids to Chicago until Dec. 26.

Other trains on routes linking Chicago and St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Pontiac will operate this weekend as scheduled.

In the East, the Vermonter was cancelled in both directions between St. Albans, Vermont, and Springfield, Massachusetts, on Dec. 23 but was to resume operating on Dec. 24.

Likewise, the Ethan Allen Express was cancelled between Burlington, Vermont, and Albany-Rensselaer, New York, on Dec. 23 but was to resume on Dec. 24.

As for the long distance network, the Empire Builder continues to be suspended between Chicago and Seattle/Portland. It will resume originating in those cities on Dec. 26.

The Capitol Limited will resume originating from Chicago and Washington on Dec. 24 as will the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago, Boston and New York.

The tri-weekly Chicago-New York Cardinal remains suspended through the weekend. No. 51 will originate as scheduled on Dec. 25 in New York. The next Cardinal to originate in Chicago will do so on Dec. 27.

Amtrak Shows ‘Airo’ Equipment Concept

Amtrak this week released drawings of the new equipment that is ticketed to replace Amfleet on state-funded routes in the East and Pacific Northwest.

To be known as Airo trains, the equipment is being built by Siemens Mobility and is expected to begin revenue service in 2026. 

The 83 Airo trainsets will be semi-permanently coupled and operate push-pull style. Each equipment set will have six to eight cars, including a cab control car.

Airo equipment will be capable of operating with electric or diesel power and have a top speed of 125 miles per hour.

The first assignment of the equipment is expected to be in the Cascades corridor between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon, via Seattle.

Other trains and route expected to operate with Airo equipment include the Northeast Corridor, Adirondack, Carolinian, Downeaster, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, New Haven/Springfield Service (Amtrak Hartford Line and Valley Flyer), Pennsylvanian, Vermonter and Virginia Services. 

The design of the Airo equipment is based  on the Viaggio Confort cars of the Austrian Federal Railways. In Austria, the Viaggio cars are propelled by electric locomotive power.

There also are similarities between the Airo cars and the Venture cars built by Siemens for use in Amtrak corridor service in the Midwest and California.

During a news conference in New York, officials said the first first Airo car shell is under construction in Sacramento, California.

Construction of the Airo fleet is expected to continue through 2031. Cost of the equipment has been put at $7.3 billion.

Seventeen of the equipment sets slated to operate in the Empire Corridor in New York State will use hybrid battery technology.

Amtrak will have an option to buy 130 additional Airo trainset.

Keystones Reserved for Christmas Travel

Amtrak announced this week that reservations will be required for travel on Keystone Service trains between Dec. 21 and Dc. 30.

This includes all trains operating between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Reservations will not be required for monthly and 10-ride ticket holders.

On Christmas Day, Keystone Service trains will operate on a Saturday schedule.

Adirondack Partially Restored

Amtrak restored the Adirondack between New York City and Albany-Rensselaer, New York, on Dec. 5.

No date was given for when the train will resume operating to Montreal and the restored service will be limited.

Train 68 will operate Sunday through Thursday, with no service on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday trains will have a limited food menu.

Train 69 will operate Monday through Friday, with no service on Saturdays and Sundays. The Friday trains will offer a limited food menu.

Amtrak said all other Adirondack trains will offer full café car food and beverage service.

Southbound Trains Bypassing Newark, Delaware Stop

Southbound Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains are temporarily bypassing the Newark, Delaware, station stop this weekend due to construction.

In a service advisory Amtrak said the station stairway is being repaired. The work does not affect northbound trains, which will continue to stop in Newark as scheduled.

The advisory said the service suspension is in effect through Dec. 11.

Train 193 will bypass Newark on Dec. 9 and discharge passengers at Wilmington. SEPTA Train 5227 will honor Amtrak tickets and accommodate Train 193 passengers traveling between Wilmington and Newark.

Trains 87 and 135 will bypass Newark station on Dec. 10 and 11 with no alternate transportation provided.

Running Through the Shadows

It is morning in Cassandra, Pennsylvania, as Amtrak’s eastbound Pennsylvanian rushes through on the Pittsburgh Line of host railroad Norfolk Southern.

The sunlight is nicely illuminating the fall foliage on the surrounding hillsides but has yet to fine the rails. This image was made on Oct. 17, 2007.

Amtrak Service to Increase in Empire Corridor

Additional service is being reinstated on Amtrak’s Empire Service Route.

The passenger carrier said that effective Dec. 5 it will begin operating two additional round trips between New York and Albany-Rensselaer, New York.

The additions include trains leaving Albany-Rensselaer at 11:10 a.m. Sunday through Friday, arriving at Penn Station at 1:45 p.m.; and departing Albany-Rensselaer at 5:30 p.m. arriving in New York at 8:05 p.m.

New northbound trains will depart New York Penn Station at 8:15 a.m. arriving in Albany/Rensselaer at 10:47 a.m.; and New York at 3:15 p.m. and arriving in Albany-Rensselaer at 5:45 p.m.

The additional trains will boost Empire Service between New York and Albany-Rensselaer to 12 weekday roundtrips.

That remains one less than what the route hosted before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early spring 2020.

NC Amtrak Trains Set Ridership Record in October

North Carolina reported this week that it set a ridership record in October for its state-funded Amtrak trains.

The Carolinian and Piedmont trains last month handled 55,393 passengers, which topped by 14 percent the record set this year in September of 48,488 passengers.

The trains are funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and serve a dozen station.

During October additional temporary stops were added for some trains for a barbecue festival in Lexington and the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh.

The Carolinian operates once daily in each direction between New York and Charlotte. The Piedmont Service operates three daily roundtrips between Charlotte and Raleigh.

The NCDOT said in a news release that patronage of the state-funded Amtrak trains has rebounded since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trains have averaged nearly 47,500 passengers a month since April, which the agency said is about 8,850 more than the monthly average in 2019.

Reservations Needs for Keystone Service Travel During Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period

Passengers traveling on Amtrak Keystone Service trains between Nov. 21-28 will need reservations due to expected ridership increases during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

In a service advisory Amtrak said reservations will be required for trains, including Philadelphia to Harrisburg service.

However, reservations will not be required for monthly and 10-ride ticket holders. On Thanksgiving Day, Keystone Service trains will operate on a Saturday schedule.

Bike Service Suspended on Select Eastern Corridor Trains During Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period

Amtrak said in a service advisory that bicycle service will be suspended during the Thanksgiving travel period for Hartford Line, Valley Flyer and Northeast Regional Service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Greenfield, Massachusetts.

The suspension is in effect between Nov. 21 to 28.

The advisory said folding bicycles will continue to be accepted as a carry-on item. Bicycle service will resume on Nov. 29.