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.

Bridge Work to Disrupt Vermonters

Track work will disrupt operations of Amtrak’s Vermonter between Nov. 4-6.

During that period Trains 55 and 57, will originate at New Haven, Connecticut.

Buses 3055 and 3057 will provide alternate transportation between St. Albans, Vermont, and New Haven.

Trains 54 and 56, will terminate at New Haven with Buses 3054 and 3056 will provide alternate transportation between New Haven and St. Albans.

Alternate transportation will be provided by DATTCO to all missed stops except Claremont, Windsor, and Randolph.

Buses will operate on a modified schedule. Passengers should check Amtrak.com for the arrival and departure times.

Construction to Disrupt Eastern Corridor Trains

Construction will disrupt some Amtrak service in the Northeast between July 17 and Sept. 9.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said schedules of some Northeast Regional trains, the Vermonter and Springfield Shuttle Service will be adjusted.

Alternate bus transportation is being provided by DATTCO Motor Coach during this project. Schedule times listed on Amtrak.com have been updated to reflect these changes.

On July 17, Train 432 will be canceled and replaced by Bus 3432 between New Haven and Springfield, Connecticut, making intermediate station stops at State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

On weekdays between July 18 and Sept. 9 Trains 412, 490, 470, 474, and 476 between New Haven and Springfield, are canceled.

Buses 3412, 3490, 3470, 3474 and 3476 will provide alternate transportation between New Haven and Springfield, making intermediate station stops at State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

Trains 417, 451 473, and 475 between Springfield and New Haven are canceled. Buses 3017, 3051, 3073, 3075, 3401, 3417, 3473 and 3475 will provide alternate transportation between New Haven and Springfield, making intermediate station stops at Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford and State Street.

Trains 471 and 495 between Greenfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, will terminate at Springfield. Buses 3071, 3095, 3471 and 3495 will provide alternate transportation between Springfield and New Haven, making intermediate station stops at stops at Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford and State Street.

Trains will depart Greenfield 15 minutes earlier and operate earlier at all stations between Greenfield and Springfield.

Train 55 will operate on an adjusted schedule between Springfield and Meriden, departing Springfield at 2:59 p.m. and operating 9 minutes later at all stations from Springfield to Meriden.

On weekends between July 23 and Sept. 5, Trains 416 and 450 between New Haven and Springfield, are canceled. Alternate transportation will be provided between New Haven and Springfield, making intermediate station stops at State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

Train 458 will operate on Saturdays between New Haven and Springfield. Train 460 will run on Sundays but be cancelled on Saturdays, with no alternate transportation provided.

Train 140 will operate on an adjusted schedule between Windsor Locks and Springfield, departing Windsor Locks 8 minutes later at 7:34 p.m. and arriving at Springfield 10 minutes later than normal.

Train 465 between Springfield and New Haven on Sundays will be canceled. Alternate transportation will be provided between Springfield and New Haven, making intermediate station stops at Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford and State Street.

Train 497 will operate on an adjusted schedule, departing Springfield at 7:10 p.m. and operating 20 minutes earlier at all stations between Springfield and New Haven.

Train 57 will operate on an adjusted schedule, departing Springfield at 2:55 p.m., operating 5 minutes later at all stations from Springfield to Meriden.

Burlington Service to Start in July

Amtrak is planning to begin service to Burlington, Vermont, in July.

The service is an extension of the state-funded Ethan Allen Express, which operates between New York and Rutland, Vermont.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has been working to get Amtrak into Burlington, the state’s largest city, for the past decade.

The Burlington area is served by the Vermonter, which terminates in nearby St. Albans, Vermont. The Vermonter operates to Washington.

A new station is being established in downtown Burlington and will be a short walk from the Lake Champlain waterfront tourist district.

VTrans said the Vermonter carries about 100,000 riders a year while the Ethan Allen Express, handles about 50,000 riders a year.

The extended Ethan Allen will have intermediate stops in Vergennes and Middlebury.

Burlington last had intercity rail passenger service in 1955.

Amtral Cancels More Trains Today

Amtrak on Sunday posted more service cancellations for Monday (Jan. 17) due to a winter storm in the eastern United States.

Canceled in both directions is the Capitol Limited (Chicago-Washington), making for the third consecutive day that No. 30 has not departed from Chicago. No. 29 last left Washington on Saturday.

The Pennsylvanian from Pittsburgh to New York was canceled as were Keystone Service Nos. 660, 661, 662 and 615 between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and New York. Keystone Service No. 667 will originate in Philadelphia rather than New York.

Also canceled in both directions are the Vermonter (Washington-St. Albans, Vermont) and Piedmont Service Nos. 73 and 74 (Raleigh, North Carolina-Charlotte, North Carolina).

Ethan Allen Express No. 291 (New York-Rutland, Vermont) will terminate at Albany-Rensselaer, New York. Train 290 will originate in Albany-Rensselaer.

On the Northeast Corridor, Northeast Regional train 99 (Boston-Newport News, Virginia) will terminate in Washington. Northeast Regionals 152 and 189 (Washington-New York) are canceled.

Northeast Regional 156 (Roanoke, Virginia-New York) is canceled as is Train 164 (Richmond, Virginia- Boston. Thus far one cancellation has been posted for Tuesday (Jan. 18). Ethan Allen Express No. 290 will originate at Albany-Rensselaer.

Illinois, Vermont Trains Coming Back July 19

Suspended Illinois-funded corridor trains will resume operation on July 19. On the same day, the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express will also return to service.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said that it is restoring service as part of its Rebuild Illinois capital plan.

One daily roundtrip each will be added to the Chicago-Quincy and Chicago-Carbondale routes while two roundtrips will be restored to the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Chicago-Quincy Carl Sandburg was suspended along with the Chicago to Carbondale Saluki and Carbondale to Chicago Illini.

Those suspended trains left Chicago in the morning and returned in the evening.

In Vermont, the Vermont Agency of Transportation said the Vermonter will return between St. Albans, Vermont, and Washington.

Also coming back is the Ethan Allen Express between Rutland, Vermont, and New York.

Amtrak Vermont Service to Resume July 19

Amtrak service to Vermont will resume on July 19.

The service has been suspended for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the trains suspended since March 26, 2020, are the Washington-St. Albans Vermonter and the New York-Rutland Ethan Allen Express.

The routes will be among the last of those suspended during the pandemic to resume service.

“We are very pleased to announce the restart of these vital transportation services for Vermonters and those who wish to travel to and from Vermont by train or bus,” Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said in a statement.

 “With the Governor’s announcement this week of the Vermont Forward Plan to re-open Vermont fully during the next few months, we now have a target date for when we will be able to safely resume Amtrak and transit services.”

Amtrak May Return to Vermont Late This Year

A resumption of Amtrak service to Vermont is at least two to three months away, the state’s governor has indicated.

Gov. Phil Scott said state officials have discussed with Amtrak resuming operations of the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Express.

Once state officials decided to resume the service, it would be 30 days before the trains are operating.

Although the Amtrak website shows that tickets for travel on the Vermonter are available effective Oct. 8, similar sales were held for travel in July and September but the trains did not operate.

Vermont-funded Amtrak trains stopped running in March due to Scott’s stay home orders issued during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news conference this week, Scott cited low ridership of public transportation throughout the state for holding resumption of Amtrak service in abeyance.

However, he said there were promising signs that travel could improve by the end of the year.

“I’ve heard that there’s some news [Amtrak] want to start coming back to Rutland first, maybe in the coming weeks, and we’re engaged with them to do whatever we can to provide for the service into Vermont when it’s safe,” Scott said.

Amtrak Trims More Service, Brightline Suspended

Additional Amtrak service reductions have been announced and Florida intercity rail passenger operator Brightline has suspended all service.

The latest Amtrak cancellations include reducing the level of service of Missouri River Runner service effective March 30

The two daily roundtrips between St. Louis and Kansas City will be cut to one with trains leaving Kansas City at 8:15 a.m. and St. Louis at 4 p.m.

The St. Louis-Kansas City corridor was the last in the Midwest to be unaffected by the COVID pandemic-induced service reductions.

Effective today Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has ordered all Amtrak in that state to be suspended.

The Vermonter, which normally operates between Washington and St. Albans, Vermont, will not operate north of New Haven, Connecticut.

On its reduced schedule, the Vermonter will not operate on Sundays.

The Ethan Allen Express, which normally operates between New York and Rutland, Vermont, will not operate north of Albany-Rensselaer, New York.

Scott said he took the action after consulting with Amtrak. He also issued a stay-at-home order for residents of his state and directed the closure of in-person, nonessential businesses in order to minimize unnecessary activities outside of homes.

In Florida, Brightline, which is owned by Virgin Trains USA, laid off 250 of its more than 300 South Florida workers this week.

Brightline said on Wednesday that it was suspending all service in the wake of the pandemic.

The layoffs included Bob O’Malley, vice president of corporate development.

In a statement, Brightline said it hoped to rehire most of its workers once service resumes, but said it could not say when that might be.

A report in the Miami Herald said more than 700 construction workers on a project to extend Brightline track to Orlando remain employed.

Equipment Storage Site in Burlington Remains Elusive

Vermont transportation officials continue to study where to store Amtrak equipment laying over in Burlington, Vermont, between runs.

Although Amtrak does not operate into Burlington now, the state has proposed extending the New York-Rutland, Vermont, Ethan Allen Express 68 miles north to Burlington.

Officials have looked at six options and appear to be favoring building a new siding near the McNeil Generating Station just west of Intervale Road or a new siding adjacent to Burlington Union Station.

Both options have drawn opposition, particularly the location next to the station.

Much of that has come from Main Street Landing, which owns property east of the railroad tracks.

MSL said noise and engine emissions from the train’s locomotive would be within 14 feet of apartments in the Wing Building south of the station.

Extending the Ethan Allen Express to Burlington would also bring service to Middlebury and Vergennes.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation wants to implement the extension by the end of 2021.

A decision on where to store the train overnight had been expected by late 2019, but has been delayed.

VTrans now doesn’t expect a decision to be made until late March.

“The state is giving the city more time to consider all of the options more thoroughly,” said city spokeswoman Olivia LaVecchia.

Other options for storing the train include the Vermont Rail System freight yard just south of the station, a rail spur in Burlington’s south end, and two sites in the city’s Urban Reserve, north of the station.

In the meantime, host railroad VRS plans to rebuild the track and work on signals on the mainline track at the station.

VRS leases from the right of way upon which is tracks are located between College Street in Burlington to Bennington.

The railroad has notified the city that it plans to terminate the city’s lease for the alignment of the Burlington Greenway bike path, which uses part of the right of way east of the mainline tracks.

VRS plans to realign the tracks to reduce a sharp curve south of the station.

If the equipment for the Ethan Allen is stored elsewhere other than by the station, VSR officials have indicated that it might not build a siding there that would house the train overnight.

The Ethan Allen equipment could also be taken 32 miles north of Burlington to St. Albans, Vermont, where the equipment for Amtrak’s Vermonter is stored overnight.

However, VTrans has indicated it wants to store the Ethan Allen equipment somewhere in Burlington.

VTrans is facing a late 2021 deadline to launch the Ethan Allen extension or facing having to return $10 million in federal funding it received for the extension of the route to Burlington.