Your daily source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the weekly NARP Hotline.
August 9, 2012
Written By Sean Jeans Gail Dining car on the Southwest Limited, 1974"Our ridership is up, our revenue is up, we have reduced our debt, we have had our credit rating upgraded and we have a plan for the future that can be fulfilled with the dedication of this workforce, and business and political leadership. Food and Beverage has a good story to tell in its improvement. Unfortunately, our ability t...
August 8, 2012
Written By Sean Jeans Gail The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will hold open meetings to solicit feedback on the Draft Tier I Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for theChicago to St. Louis corridor development project over the next week, starting tonight in Joliet. The Midwest High Speed Rail Association is asking residents of Illinois to provide input, while offering several re...
August 8, 2012
Written By Malcolm Kenton A westbound Union Pacific freight train passes Amtrak's eastbound Sunset Limited near Redlands, CA on Oct. 25, 2011. Photo by Malcolm Kenton.Someone who called the NARP office recently asked me, “The [passenger] trains run on-time in Europe. Why can’t they do the same here?” It’s a simple question whose answer is, unfortunately, quite complex. The causes of Amtra...
July 31, 2012
Written By Robert Stewart A historic event occurred July 25. Amtrak announced an ambitious project for one of the most important railroad stations in the country. Washington Union Station is a beautiful building but is running well over capacity -- carrying two million more annual riders than when it was reopened in1988. Also, it is located in our nation’s capital which gives it lots of exposu...
July 30, 2012
Written By Sean Jeans Gail Amtrak eTicketing went live today on all trains throughout the Amtrak system, launching a new, more streamlined way for passengers to interact with the railroad and its employees. By integrating computers and mobile devices, the eTicketing program will allow passengers to skip lines at ticket counters, and make lost tickets a thing of the past. "eTickets deliver the c...