Amtrak cancels some trips as national railway strike looms
Last edited Wed Sep 14, 2022, 01:10 PM - Edit history (1)
Amtrak said it's canceling three long-distance trips starting on Tuesday amid a looming railway strike that could disrupt the U.S. economy, resulting in lost productivity of $2 billion a day.
The schedule changes come amid a potential railroad work stoppage due to a labor dispute between railroad companies and unionized workforces. If the two sides aren't able to come to an agreement this week, the stoppage could begin late Friday.
In a statement to CBS News, Amtrak said on Monday that while it's not involved in the ongoing negotiations between the two sides, an interruption would impact its passenger service because almost all of its routes outside the Northeast corridor operate on tracks maintained and dispatched by freight railroads.
The three routes canceled by Amtrak on run between Chicago and the West Coast along its Southwest Chief, California Zephyr and Empire Builder routes, according to travel site ThePointsGuy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/amtrak-cancels-some-trips-as-national-railway-strike-looms/ar-AA11MYcR
Not Just Freight: The Rail Strike May Be Coming for US Commuters
(Bloomberg) -- Several US cities are bracing for travel disruptions as a looming strike against freight railroads threatens ripple effects on passenger service from Washington to Chicago and Los Angeles.
Thousands of Americans will have to find alternative means of transportation if the strike goes ahead, with commuter lines to Washington, D.C., and Chicago warning that trains on some routes will grind to a halt as early as Friday. Amtrak trains from Chicago to cities including Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco have already been canceled, and more routes were suspended Wednesday.
The disruptions come at a difficult time for Amtrak and transit agencies after ridership plunged during the pandemic and has yet to return to normal. President Joe Biden is racing to avoid a strike, but freight railroads and unions have just until Friday to resolve a labor dispute that could cost the world’s biggest economy $2 billion a day.
Amtrak’s long-haul network and some commuter rail operators use tracks owned, maintained and operated by freight companies, leaving them with little option to keep services.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/not-just-freight-the-rail-strike-may-be-coming-for-us-commuters/ar-AA11PzJ8
The Seattle area's Sounder commuter rail will probably likewise be affected. Sound Transit owns the trains but contracts with BNSF to run them.
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