Some Amtrak Stations Being Affected by Pandemic

Several Amtrak stations across the system are also seeing reduced hours or being closed for some or all train arrivals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Service advisories posted on the Amtrak website said the changes are until further notice.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan, station will see its hours reduced to 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.

The waiting rooms of the stations in Washington State at Bingen-White Salmon and Wishram station waiting rooms are closed but trains will continue to stop at both stations and passengers will have access to platforms.

The Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago Union Station is no longer being staffed.

Passengers may still use the lounge but will not receive coffee, hot water or fountain beverages. Amtrak said regular and diet soda will be available by request at the front desk.

However, given that the station is not being staff it is unclear who will be providing those beverages to passengers.

Other stations at which the waiting room is now closed but access to the boarding platforms is being maintained include Detroit Lakes, Minnesota; Kirkwood, Missouri; Lawrence, Kansas; Dodge City, Kansas; Lincoln, Nebraska; Burlington, Iowa; Kalamazoo, Michigan; East Lansing, Michigan; Princeton, Illinois; and Plano, Illinois;

The station hours at Grand Junction, Colorado, have been reduced to two hours before the arrival of the California Zephyr.

Ticketed passengers and those wishing to purchase cashless tickets will have access to the inside of the station but friends and family picking up arriving passengers are not permitted in the station and are being asked to wait in their vehicles.

A similar practice has been instituted for Southwest Chief passengers using the station in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Cascades Service Further Trimmed

Amtrak Cascades Service has been further trimmed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nos. 517 and 518 have been canceled until further notice.

A notice on the Cascades Service website said all food and beverage service aboard trains that continue to operate has been suspended.

Passengers are allowed to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages onboard.

All stations between Seattle and Eugene remain open except the volunteer-staffed Olympia/Lacey and Kelso stations.

Cascades trains will continue to stop at those stations but no services are available.

Latest Amtrak Cuts Include Station Closings

Although no Amtrak long distance trains have thus far been spared from service suspensions, they are getting shorter consists.

An online report said the Chicago-Washington Capitol Limited is operating with one P42DC locomotive, one sleeper, one food service car and two coaches.

Some Amtrak station waiting rooms are being temporarily closed.

In a service advisory posted on its website, Amtrak said waiting rooms in Kalamazoo and East Lansing, Michigan, are closed and passengers will not have access to the station restrooms.

The notice said station caretakers will be present to answer questions, provide direction and help operate wheelchair lifts.

Amtrak recommended that rather than waiting outside on the platform that passengers use the Amtrak app or other means to check train status while waiting in their personal vehicles for their train to arrive.

Other stations that are closed include those in Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Altoona and Johnstown.

All Amtrak service has been suspended at those stations.

Other stations that continue to have service but which are closed include Bloomington-Normal, Illlinois; Burlington, Iowa; Dodge City, Kansas, Lincoln, Nebraska; Lawrence, Kansas; Plano, Illinois; St. Petersburg, Florida (Thruway bus service stop)

In the case of the Normal station, passengers will have access to the Uptown Garage and its complimentary one-hour parking.

Garage elevator access will lead only to the street level. Platform access will be from the exterior of the building only.

Customer Service Representatives will be present on the platform 30 minutes before scheduled departure times to continue checked baggage service, unaccompanied minor service and special services.

The service hours at the Gallup, New Mexico, station has been modified. Passengers will have access to the interior of the station for the 30 minutes before the train arrival time.

Additional service suspensions have also been announced.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said that starting March 23 Piedmont Service trains 73, 74, 77, and 78 are suspended.

Piedmonts 75 and 76 will continue to operate as will the New York-Charlotte Carolinian.

In California, Pacific Surfliner service will be cut in half on March 23 and further reduced on March 24.

On March 23, Trains 561, 565, 579, and 593 will operate as scheduled but Trains 569, 573, 583, 591, 595, and 759 are cancelled.

Trains 763 and 777 will operate according to the schedule between San Diego and Goleta but there will be no service north of Goleta.

Trains 767 and 785 will operate according to the schedule between San Diego and Los Angeles with no service north of Los Angeles.

Trains 564, 580, and 584 will operate as scheduled but Trains 562, 566, 572, 578, 590, 782, and 792 are cancelled.

Train 796 will operate according to the schedule between Goleta and San Diego but with no service between San Luis Obispo and Goleta.

Effective March 24, scheduled will be further modified and subject to additional change based on ridership and public health conditions.

Trains 759, 561/1761, 565/1565, 569/1569, 573/1573, 583, 591/1591, and 595 are cancelled. Trains 763 and 777 will operate according to the schedule between San Diego and Goleta with no service north of Goleta.

Trains 767/1767 and 785 will operate according to the schedule between San Diego and Los Angeles but with no service north of Los Angeles.

Trains 562, 566/1566, 572/1572, 578, 782, 590/1590, and 792 are cancelled.

Train 774 will operate according to the schedule between Los Angeles and San Diego with no service between San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles.

Train 796 will operate according to the schedule between Goleta and San Diego with no service between San Luis Obispo and Goleta.

Service to San Luis Obispo will be preserved through limited bus connections from Santa Barbara. The Coast Starlight will also continue serving San Luis Obispo.

In northern California, the San Joaquins Joint Powers Authority, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority and Amtrak have agreed on the following service reductions.

Amtrak San Joaquin service will be suspending the Emeryville and San Francisco Thruway Bus Route (Route 99) on March 21.

Passengers traveling to San Francisco are encouraged to utilize BART via the Richmond Station.

On March 26, Trains 701, 702, 703, 704, 714, and 717 will be suspended and remaining trains will not have lead service attendants or food service.
Train 719 will no longer stop at Richmond because of the BART reduction in hours.

On the east Coast, Amtrak’s Downeaster service will see further service reductions to two roundtrips a day.

On March 21 and 22, Trains 692, 694, 693 and 695 will operate.

Between March 23-27 trains operating will include Nos. 680, 682, 681 and 684.

North of the border, VIA Rail Canada has said the suspension of the Montreal-Halifax Ocean, Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, and Jasper-Prince Rupert service has been extended to May 1.

Effective March 23 Montreal-Senneterre and Montreal-Jonquiere, Quebec, trains will be cut o one round trip per week, as will Sudbury-White River, Ontario, service.

Such an-board and in-station services such as baggage handling and restaurant access will also be curtailed.

 

Train Time in Charlottesville

Amtrak’s eastbound Cardinal has arrived in Charlottesville and there is much going on here.

At the time this photograph was made in early June 2012, Charlottesville was a crew change point for the operating crews.

The station agent had baggage to load and unload and, of course, passengers boarded and disembarked.

Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia and college towns tend to generate a lot of business for Amtrak.

The Cardinal only lands here three times a week in each direction on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

Boarding Procedure to Change at San Diego Old Town

The boarding procedures at the Amtrak station in San Diego (Old Town Station) will change on Feb. 24.

Amtrak said in a service advisory that Pacific Surfliner trains will depart and arrive on different tracks at the station.

Southbound trains will now arrive on Track 3 and passengers can be picked up from Old Town Station on the street side closest to Track 3.

Northbound trains will continue to depart from Track 4.

Amtrak advised those using the station to allow extra time for boarding and detraining while getting familiar with the different route to parking and connecting services. Use the pedestrian underpass if needed.

Construction Disrupts Boston South Station Doorways

Construction at Boston South Station that began last month will affect some of the station’s entrances and exits.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said the South Station Air Rights Project will result in some entrances and exits being closed or reconfigured.

Trains also may arrive and depart on a different track than expected.

Amtrak urged passengers using the station to check their train’s track assignment before boarding and to allow extra time to become familiar with the new construction zones.

Access to St. Louis Station Temporarily Restricted

Street closures during the National Hockey League All Star Game this weekend will restrict access to the Amtrak station in St. Louis.

Amtrak advised passengers to allow extra time when traveling to the station due to traffic congestion.

In addition to the game, which is being played on Saturday (Jan. 25) at 7 p.m. at the Enterprise Center, there are events throughout the weekend as part of a fan fair at St. Louis Union Station.

Between Jan. 23 and 26 the following streets will be closed:

• 14th Street between Clark and Chestnut Street
• Market Street from 16th to 13th Street
• 15th Street between Market Street and Chestnut Street
• Chestnut Street between 15th and 14th Streets

Rome Station Elevator Out of Service

The elevator at the Amtrak station in Rome, New York, is out of service.

In a service advisory Amtrak did not provide an estimated date as to when it would be repaired and back in operation.

Amtrak said passengers unable to navigate the stairways from the station to the boarding platform should travel to the station in Utica, New York, located 20 minutes east of Rome.

The advisory also suggested that passengers allow extra time to reach the boarding platform.

Rome is served by two pairs of New York-Niagara Falls, New York, Empire Service trains and the New York-Toronto Maple Leaf.

Tuscaloosa New Station Efforts Stall

Efforts to create a new Amtrak station in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have stalled.

Tuscaloosa officials have been trying for years to create a new station, but have been unable to reach an agreement with host Railroad Norfolk Southern.

City officials want to located the station in the Alberta neighborhood, which would put it in close proximity to the campus of the University of Alabama.

The current station, which is served by the New York-New Orleans Crescent, is located on Greensboro Avenue and is in poor condition.

Amtrak has reportedly threatened to cease using the station.

Work on creating a new station began in 2016 but has made little headway.

New Middletown Station Seen As finished in July 2021

Construction of a new Amtrak station in Middletown, Pennsylvania, is expected to be completed by July 2021.

But first the project needs to be put out for bid, a process that began on Dec. 19.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is taking bids that are to be opened on Jan. 29.

PennDOT recently held a meeting for prospective contractors who might wish to bid on the project.

The station will be built along West Main Street on the Amtrak Keystone Corridor.

In preparation for station construction, Amtrak is moving the tracks in the vicinity of the station site.

PennDOT is expected to award the winning construction contract bids in March and to give contractors a notice to proceed on March 16.