U.S.: Amtrak will have competition on both existing and new routes as Congress has mandated

By James E. Coston, Executive Chairman, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; March 8, 2023 Congress has spoken, and given specific instructions…

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U.S.: After the federal government mortally wounded passenger trains in 1967, Amtrak was created to clean up the mess

By J. Bruce Richardson, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; October 18, 2022 Here is something to consider: Amtrak wasn’t created totally…

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U.S., Amtrak: Imagine what it’s like for train travel in 2032

By Russ Jackson, 2022 Guest Commentator for 2032; June 13, 2022 Imagine! “Back to the Future?” Cool! That about describes…

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U.S., WHAT IF: Amtrak riders could find themselves in a pickle after the November 2022 elections

By Russ Jackson, Guest Commentator; February 14, 2022 The chance the U.S. Congress majority will turn from Blue to Red…

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U.S.: Amtrak is asleep at the switch; a letter to Congress and Amtrak

By Robert P. Snow, Guest Commentator; February 9, 2022 Editor’s Note: This is the first guest commentary by Robert P.…

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U.S., Amtrak: Two Democratic Members Of Congress Introduce Legislation To Allow Amtrak To Be Sued

By AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press, The News & Observer; October 28, 2021 HELENA, Mont Two Democratic members of Congress…

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U.S., Andrew Selden On Passenger Train Funding: Getting The Most From New Rail Capital

By Andrew Selden, Guest Commentator; August 30, 2021 If congress chooses to appropriate new capital to develop intercity passenger rail…

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U.S., Florida/Nevada/California: Brightline CEO presents to Congress ways to unlock the potential of high-speed rail

From Global Railway Review; May 7, 2021 Michael Reininger, Brightline’s CEO, has presented to a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure…

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U.S., Zowie! $80 Billion For Amtrak: Don’t Get Too Excited Too Soon

By J. Bruce Richardson, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; April 2, 2021 So many people and state departments of transportation are…

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U.S., Wabash and Union Pacific History: A Tale of Two Cities, Part Two

By David R. Peironnet, Guest Commentator; February 9, 2021 A Tale of Two CitiesWabash/Union Pacific City of Saint Louis and…

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U.S.: Congressman Donald Payne will seek chairmanship of key transportation subcommittee

By David Wildstein, New Jersey Globe; November 5, 2020 A New Jersey congressman is seeking the chairmanship of a powerful…

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U.S.: Hit by pandemic, Amtrak is making cuts that may endure

By Jessica Wehrman, Roll Call; October 19, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic may force a reckoning for Amtrak’s long-distance routes, bringing…

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U.S.: Amtrak warns an additional 2,400 jobs will be cut without more federal aid

By Luz Lazo, The Washington Post; October 8, 2020 Days after President Trump abruptly cut off talks on a broad…

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U.S.: ‘Not Unlike the Postal Service’: Advocates Want Amtrak to Prioritize Service Over Profit

By Pranshu Verma, The New York Times; September 1, 2020 WASHINGTON — For Amtrak, the coronavirus pandemic has not only…

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U.S.: In transportation bill, a call for finer dining on Amtrak

By Jessica Wehrman, Roll Call; June 29, 2020 When the head of Amtrak faced the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee…

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U.S.: Amtrak’s mandatory arbitration policy would end under new legislation

From Progressive Railroading Magazine; March 6, 2020 Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress yesterday introduced the “Ending Passenger Rail Forced…

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Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski calls for Metra to take over Chicago Union Station from Amtrak after ‘disastrous’ service outage, falling concrete

By Mary Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune; November 13, 2019 After a “disastrous” service outage that delayed tens of thousands of passengers…

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Congress to examine controversial Amtrak policy

By Frank Gerace, WDEL; November 10, 2019 Congress has scheduled a hearing on a policy change implemented by Amtrak that…

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Opinion: Has Amtrak placed itself in jeopardy?

By David Briginshaw, International Railway Journal; September 2, 2019 AMTRAK was set up in 1971 as a quasi-public corporation to…

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Here’s Why We’ve Failed to Figure Out Why Infrastructure Costs So Much

By Josh Barro, Intelligencer, New York Magazine; July 24, 2019 Last year, in a provision tucked away in an appropriations…

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Congress Moves Toward Ban on Buying Chinese Buses, Railcars Over Spy Fears

By Trefor Moss in Shanghai and Lindsay Wise in Washington, The Wall Street Journal; July 23, 2019 China’s push to…

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Danny Plaugher column: Virginia is leading on passenger rail. It needs Congress’ help.

By Danny Plaugher, Richmond Times-Dispatch; June 29, 2019 While Indiana (Hoosier service) and Pennsylvania (Keystone and Pennsylvanian services) are cutting…

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Union leaders criticize precision scheduled railroading

By Joanna Marsh, Freight Waves; June 21, 2019 The implementation of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) has contributed to dwindling morale…

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Rail Unions to Congress: Safety is Not Negotiable

From Staff, AJOT.com; June 19, 2019 More than 150 years after the completion of the transcontinental railroad, rail remains a…

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House Appropriations orders Amtrak to go on new track

By Tim Leeds, Havre Daily News; June 14, 2019 A report from the U.S. House Appropriations Committee very directly tells…

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