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Amtrak

Commentary

No Clear Track Ahead

PASSENGER RAIL OUTLOOK, RAILWAY AGE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … in short, the period was ... like the present…
A SEPTA employee inspects a Silverliner IV Train. (Courtesy of SEPTA)

Transit Briefs: SEPTA, STM, LACMTA, NC By Train

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is restoring all morning express trips on Regional Rail as more Silverliner IVs return to service. Also, STM (Société de transport de Montréal) releases its…
(Courtesy of Amtrak OIG)

OIG to Amtrak: Improved Facilities Planning Needed to Support New Trains

While Amtrak has started upgrading its maintenance facilities to support major fleet acquisitions, including NextGen Acela, Airo, and planned Long Distance trains, developing and implementing a strategic plan would help…

Transit Briefs: SEPTA, STV, NYMTA, Amtrak/USRC

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) system-wide ridership decreases 1% in November. Also, STV’s Quantico Station Improvement Project wins an American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia (ACEC Virginia) Grand Award;…
Commentary

Will Amtrak Take Scott Spencer Seriously?

My report on the Dec. 4 Amtrak Board meeting in New Orleans included a proposal by Scott R. Spencer, Chief Operating Officer of AmeriStarRail, who proposed rebranding the new NextGen…
Unlike other “public” Board meetings that showed only the presentations to non-members, the Dec. 4, 2025, meeting occurred both in person and on line, and included questions and answers. Pictured, below right: Amtrak Board Member Ronald L. Batory, who was confirmed in 2024. (Screen Grab of Amtrak Meeting Video)
Commentary

Amtrak Board: ‘We’re Just Getting Better, Year After Year’

The Amtrak Board of Directors held its year-end 2025 meeting earlier this month in New Orleans, the site of a celebration held three-and-a-half months ago for the inauguration of Mardi…
(Courtesy of Amtrak)

For Amtrak Unionized Workforce, $900 Bonuses

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Dec. 11 reported that more than 18,000 frontline Amtrak workers will each receive a $900 bonus “to celebrate a record year of ridership…
Amtrak’s twice-daily Mardi Gras between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., has served more than 46,000 riders since its Aug. 18 launch. (Photograph Courtesy of Amtrak)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, SEPTA, TriMet, NJT, TTC, MBTA

Amtrak’s newest service, the Mardi Gras, is seeing strong demand. Also, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is taking delivery of 10 leased coaches from MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail);…
The joint venture of MBTA, Massachusetts Port Authority, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking a developer for a mixed-use transit-oriented development project at the Anderson Regional Transportation Center in Woburn. (BMRR, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, NJT, WMATA, BART, Amtrak, GCRTA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) advance transit-oriented development projects. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) fares will…
A Union Pacific boom truck and lowboy truck position to transport Omaha’s official Christmas Tree, a 5,500-pound blue spruce donated from the front yard of a metro-area home. (Courtesy of UP)

‘Holiday Briefs’: UP, NS, G&W

Union Pacific (UP) delivers the city of Omaha’s official Christmas tree. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS), Amtrak, and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation announce the schedule for their New York…
First run: Amtrak no. 8, the eastbound Empire Builder, overtakes a BNSF empty grain train at Moab, Wash. Bruce Kelly photo
Commentary

Amtrak 2025: The Rest of the Story

Amtrak issued a press release Nov. 18 touting the railroad’s performance in Fiscal Year 2025 entitled “Amtrak: A Year of Records.” With record ridership, record passenger miles, record capital investments…
Marc Bernier (Courtesy of Alstom)

Alstom Appoints North American VP, RSC

Marc Bernier on Dec. 1 transitioned to Vice President of Alstom’s Rolling Stock and Components (RSC) business in North America. He is leading engineering, development, and production sites, and has…
(Courtesy of Willie D. Mills)

WIR Conference 2025: Connecting, Inspiring, Innovating

Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures on Oct. 15-16 hosted the third-annual in-person Women in Rail Conference with a packed lineup of influential women and their allies, who shared experiences, celebrated achievements, and discussed…

NS Partners to Support Passenger Rail

In addition to moving freight, Norfolk Southern (NS) has also “played an industry-leading role” in hosting new and existing passenger services, working with passenger rail partners to find solutions that…
NC By Train in October experienced its highest ridership month in 35 years of service. The state-supported Amtrak intercity passenger rail service carried 74,400 riders, nearly 10% more than in October 2024. (Courtesy of NCDOT)

Transit Briefs: NC by Train, WMATA/COG, MBTA, Rail Runner Express

NC By Train—North Carolina-supported Amtrak service—celebrates the highest ridership month in its 35-year history. Also, the boards of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments…

For Amtrak, ‘A Year of Records’

Amtrak closed its Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25, Oct. 1 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025) on Sept. 30 with “record ridership and revenue—marking another year of growth and strong performance, “underscoring…
(Shutterstock/Amorn Suriyan)

2025 WOMEN IN RAIL: Paving the Way for the Next Generation (Part 2 of 2)

RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Railway Age is celebrating nine years of recognizing women in the freight, passenger, government, and supply sectors. These trail blazers are not only excelling at…
SFMTA is saying “farewell” to an icon of San Francisco transit: Muni’s Breda-built LRVs. (Courtesy of SFMTA)

Transit Briefs: SFMTA, NJT, SJJPA, DART, Caltrain, Denver RTD, Alstom

After three decades of service and more than 10 million trips, the Breda light rail vehicles at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) are being retired. Also, New Jersey Transit…
Penn Station New York “Transformation” Project “will be one of the biggest and most significant construction projects in U.S. history, and we want the most skilled and knowledgeable partners to help make it a success,” Special Advisor to the Amtrak Board Andy Byford said in an Oct. 30 statement. (William C. Vantuono Photograph)

PSNY Project Meets ‘Key’ Milestones

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Oct. 30 reported reaching three “key” milestones for the Penn Station New York “Transformation” Project, “keeping construction on track to break ground by…

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, MBTA, TransLink

Amtrak’s Airo fleet moves toward debut. Also, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) pays tribute to Boston in the 1970s with a refurbished retro locomotive; and a historic SkyTrain car…
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