1.5 billion for Amtrak in stimulus with daily service mandate (Passed in Congress)

[niemi24s]

Put these two things together in hopes it'll help figure out the current and future departure days:

 

[HammerJack]

Any word on corridor services that had their frequencies reduced? Example: The Wolverine getting slashed from 3x to 1x per day is pretty inconvenient. The Hiawatha’s are also operating on a severely reduced schedule. I’m not aware of anything in the COVID bill that addressed corridor service frequency.

 

[Cal]

Any word on corridor services that had their frequencies reduced? Example: The Wolverine getting slashed from 3x to 1x per day is pretty inconvenient. The Hiawatha’s are also operating on a severely reduced schedule. I’m not aware of anything in the COVID bill that addressed corridor service frequency.

I am curious about that too. Cascades are only x1 per day, California Services are halved I believe as well

 

[McIntyre2K7]

I am curious about that too. Cascades are only x1 per day, California Services are halved I believe as well

There was funding for the state sponsored services in the bill as well. So I would expect those go to back to normal service as well.

 

[west point]

Memorial day this year is Monday May 31. It is a shame that all services will not start by Thursday May 27th to cover the holiday.

 

[John Bredin]

Any word on corridor services that had their frequencies reduced? Example: The Wolverine getting slashed from 3x to 1x per day is pretty inconvenient. The Hiawatha’s are also operating on a severely reduced schedule. I’m not aware of anything in the COVID bill that addressed corridor service frequency.

The States that fund the corridors decided to reduce service, and it's in their hands to restore it. Look at the train tracker map on any given day during daytime and California nearly looks like the Northeast Corridor. Conversely, there's been no Vermont service (Vermonter or Ethan Allen) and no New York service north of Albany (Adirondack), so the Midwest cuts are somewhere inbetween.

Congress provided funds to the States, as noted, but I don't think it came with reopening conditions like the funds directly to Amtrak.

 

[Exvalley]

I would not be surprised if Vermont restores Ethan Allen and Vermonter service by this summer. The vaccination rates in Vermont are going well, and the Governor has made it clear that he will start easing restrictions.

 

[CTANut]

Seems like this may end flexible dining as well.
(c) Long-Distance Service Restoration And Employee Recalls.—Not less than $165,926,000 of the aggregate amounts made available under subsections (a) and (b) shall be for use by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to—
(1) restore, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the frequency of rail service on long-distance routes (as defined in section 24102 of title 49, United States Code) that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation reduced the frequency of on or after July 1, 2020, and continue to operate such service at such frequency; and
(2) recall and manage employees furloughed on or after October 1, 2020, as a result of efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

 

[iliketrains]

As an Amtrakian, I just need to say, "WHOHOO!!!!".

 

[tonijustine]

Seems like this may end flexible dining as well.
(c) Long-Distance Service Restoration And Employee Recalls.—Not less than $165,926,000 of the aggregate amounts made available under subsections (a) and (b) shall be for use by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to—
(1) restore, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the frequency of rail service on long-distance routes (as defined in section 24102 of title 49, United States Code) that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation reduced the frequency of on or after July 1, 2020, and continue to operate such service at such frequency; and
(2) recall and manage employees furloughed on or after October 1, 2020, as a result of efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

How so? I am truly hopeful that is the case as I just booked my mid-October trip on the Builder last night and there is nothing on the Flex menu my son will eat. I know they were targeting the end of May for flex dining on the Western LD routes, but I would welcome language that doesn't let them wiggle out of that date. I assume that most of the losses they were trying to prevent during the reduced schedule was salary not actual cost of food and beverage, so I would be delighted to know that there were some teeth to getting the full menu back AND that I wasn't just being overly logical in my assessment.

 

[Cal]

As an Amtrakian, I just need to say, "WHOHOO!!!!".

See, I wasn't the only one.

 

[Cal]

Look at the train tracker map on any given day during daytime and California nearly looks like the Northeast Corridor.

Nearly? I usually see double the amount of trains on the NEC than all Amtrk trains in California combined.

 

[John Bredin]

Nearly? I usually see double the amount of trains on the NEC than all Amtrk trains in California combined.

True, but at some times of day when there are few Amtrak trains moving in the Midwest, all those California blips moving around the tracker map look like a hive of activity by comparison.

 

[Cal]

True, but at some times of day when there are few Amtrak trains moving in the Midwest, all those California blips moving around the tracker map look like a hive of activity by comparison.

True. Although only have 6 surfliners in each direction during these times is sad to see

 

[Devil's Advocate]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/11/politics/biden-sign-covid-bill/index.html

 

[Exvalley]

Good news for Amtrak, that's for sure. $1.9 trillion equals $6,000 for every person in the country. I would have been okay if they just gave me an Amtrak voucher for that amount.

 

[Cal]

Good news for Amtrak, that's for sure. $1.9 trillion equals $6,000 for every person in the country. I would have been okay if they just gave me an Amtrak voucher for that amount.

Hah, that'd be great.

 

[jis]

Hah, that'd be great.

Yeah right. And then the states can increase your taxes to recover the money that was appropriated for them originally

But of course this piece of random political commentary has nothing to do with Amtrak either

 

[Cal]

Yeah right. And then the states can increase your taxes to recover the money that was appropriated for them originally

But of course this piece of random political commentary has nothing to do with Amtrak either

 

[Dakota 400]

It is to Amtrak's benefit as well as other mass transit systems that there is money in this Bill for them and not have to wait for, if, a bill dedicated for infrastructure is passed. Two moderate Democrat Senators, King and Testor, have said today that the time has come to begin to consider how what Congress is enacting will be funded. Add those two to Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema who seem to be the most conservative of the Democrat caucus and would likely support the other Senators' thoughts, the President and the Senate Majority Leader have a "problem" in getting additional big ticket legislation enacted. It's been reported that there are some House members in the Democrat caucus who are also expressing some concerns as well.

 

[Tlcooper44]

All things considered, 2021 is turning out to be a pretty decent year for Amtrak/rail in America:
-Moynihan Train Hall supplementing the terrible Penn Station
-Restoration of LD routes in a time when many would have said those routes were nearing the end
-Sleepers return to the NE Regional Train
-Maine voted yes on a feasibility study to extend the Downeaster to Bangor (As someone who goes to Maine 4 months a year, this would be huge)

Perhaps we can hope for the California HSR Project to make progress, and Brightline to restart ASAP.

 

[PaTrainFan]

It is to Amtrak's benefit as well as other mass transit systems that there is money in this Bill for them and not have to wait for, if, a bill dedicated for infrastructure is passed. Two moderate Democrat Senators, King and Testor, have said today that the time has come to begin to consider how what Congress is enacting will be funded. Add those two to Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema who seem to be the most conservative of the Democrat caucus and would likely support the other Senators' thoughts, the President and the Senate Majority Leader have a "problem" in getting additional big ticket legislation enacted. It's been reported that there are some House members in the Democrat caucus who are also expressing some concerns as well.

As with anything in a narrowly divided Congress, the devil is in the details in how to pay for it....

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/bid...green-agenda.html?&qsearchterm=infrastructure

 

[MARC Rider]

As with anything in a narrowly divided Congress, the devil is in the details in how to pay for it....

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/bid...green-agenda.html?&qsearchterm=infrastructure

Aha, and the infrastructure bill will not just be pure deficit spending, they'll have proposed ways to pay for it. This should provide cover for the Democratic "moderates."

 

[niemi24s]

Any word on corridor services that had their frequencies reduced?

Why not do some dummy bookings to see if and when they'll be restored?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

The newly daily schedules are in the reservation system as of Wednesday, March 10, at least for the Empire Builder as I made my roomette reservation for Sept 5 Chicago to Seattle for total cost $502.50.