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☆ Amtrak Pays Executives Six-Figure Bonuses as Losses Continue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Mark Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fourteen Amtrak executives received more than $200,000 each in incentive bonuses last year despite the service’s poor recent financial performance and struggles with its capital improvement projects, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. In 2023, Amtrak paid out more than $5 million in short- and long-term incentive bonuses to its executives even as the passenger rail service posted $1.7 billion in losses, according to records obtained from Senator Ted Cruz’s office. “It’s inexplicable that a dozen-plus Amtrak executives collected six-figure bonuses on the taxpayer’s dime.”Amtrak says the executive bonuses are necessary to attract and retain talent and rail expertise. Its incentive bonus program for 2021 came under intense scrutiny after The New York Times reported that the company had paid about $2.3 million in bonuses when the rail service reported its lowest revenue and biggest losses in more than a decade. On Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing to discuss two bills to increase transparency and accountability around the Amtrak bonus payouts.

Persons: Ted Cruz’s, Mr, Cruz, “ Organizations: Amtrak, The New York Times, D.C, New York Times, House Transportation, Infrastructure Locations: Boston, Washington

☆ I upgraded to first class on Amtrak. Here are 12 things that surprised me about the trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I took a first-class train trip on an Amtrak Acela for the first time in 2022. Some things surprised me about the cabin, like the abundance of drink options yet limited food. AdvertisementIn 2022, I booked a first-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela train traveling from New York City to Baltimore. It was my first time in first class on an Amtrak train. From booking my ticket to taking the journey, several things surprised me about the two-and-a-half-hour trip, and I ultimately thought the perks weren't worth the higher price tag.

Persons: — Organizations: Amtrak Acela, Service, Amtrak, Metropolitan, Penn Locations: New York City, Baltimore

☆ High-speed rail system from Las Vegas to Southern California breaks ground
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Officials broke ground Monday on a new high-speed rail system that will connect Southern California and Las Vegas. The Brightline West system, touted as the "first true high-speed rail system" in the U.S., will run across a 218-mile route between Las Vegas and three California stops including Rancho Cucamonga, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Brightline's first rail system launched in Florida and the route spans between Miami and Orlando. Trains reach speeds of up to 125 mph, connecting the two cities in about 3.5 hours. "People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades — and now, with billions of dollars of support made possible by President Biden's historic infrastructure law, it's finally happening," Buttigieg said in the release.

Persons: I'm, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Lombardo, it's, Buttigieg Organizations: Washington , D.C, Cucamonga, Infrastructure Law, CNBC, Brightline, Los Angeles Locations: Southern California, Las Vegas, London, Paris, Boston, Washington ,, U.S, California, Los Angeles, Nevada and California, Nevada, Florida, Miami, Orlando, America

☆ I traveled first class on an Amtrak Acela train and thought the perks were cool — but not worth the $270 price tag
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I booked a first-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela traveling from New York City to Baltimore in 2022. For $273, I got free meal service and access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station. While I enjoyed the experience, I didn't think traveling in first class was worth the cost. AdvertisementWhen traveling from NYC to Baltimore in 2022, I rode in first class on an Amtrak Acela train. Two weeks before my trip, I booked a standard Amtrak Acela ticket for $121 and spent an extra $152 to upgrade to first class.

Persons: — Organizations: Amtrak, Metropolitan, Penn, Service, Business Locations: New York City, Baltimore, NYC, Coast

☆ Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announces Senate bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | Veronica Stracqualursi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Larry Hogan announced Friday that he is running for US Senate this year, providing Republicans with a strong candidate in their bid to flip a seat in a deep-blue state. It’s what I did as Maryland’s governor, and it’s exactly how I’ll serve Maryland in the Senate. “I would pay a significant amount for a ticket to watch Chuck Schumer’s face right now,” Josh Holmes, the top political adviser to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, posted on X. Though he was personally popular during his two terms as governor, the state Republican Party has veered very much toward Trump. In recent decades, Maryland has been dominated by the Democratic Party at the state and federal levels.

Persons: Larry Hogan, United States Senate –, I’ll, Let’s, ” Hogan, Hogan, ”, Donald Trump, “, Chuck Schumer’s, Josh Holmes, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, West Virginia Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, nixed, Trump, Hogan’s, Angela Alsobrooks, David Trone —, Ben Cardin, MAGA, “ Hogan, Martha McKenna, Maeve Coyle, George H.W, Bush, Shania Shelton Organizations: Washington CNN — Former Maryland Gov, US, United States Senate, Maryland, Republicans, Republican, West Virginia Democratic, CBS News, CNN, Prince, Maryland hasn’t, Senate, Democratic, GOP, Republican Party, Trump, Democratic Party, Old Locations: “, Maryland, Washington, eyeing, Prince George’s, ” Baltimore, State, Baltimore

☆ After Years of Delays, Amtrak Moves Toward Faster Trains in the Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Mark Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After years of delays and safety and design disputes, Amtrak is one step closer to bringing new high-speed trains to the busy Northeast Corridor. Amtrak officials said late Friday that the new trains, which had failed an extended series of computer modeling tests, had passed on the 14th try and had been cleared by the Federal Railroad Administration to begin testing on the tracks that run from Washington, D.C., to Boston. The faster, more spacious trains — sets of locomotives plus passenger cars — come with a price tag of about $1.6 billion and are to replace those in the Acela fleet, which should have been decommissioned at the end of their life cycle in 2016. The sleek new red, white and blue Avelia Liberty trains are to travel at a max speed of about 160 miles per hour because of a limit imposed by the northeast corridor’s aging tracks, 10 miles faster than the current Acela trains, and are expected to tilt for a faster and smoother ride around curves. They accommodate up to 386 passengers, an increase of 25 percent.

Organizations: Amtrak, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington , D.C, Liberty Locations: Washington ,, Boston

☆ Delays in Acela Upgrade Have Cost Amtrak $140 Million…and Counting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ted Mann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The three-year wait for Amtrak ’s overdue new Acela train fleet has cost the railroad $140 million and counting, documents show, a setback for a company that has vowed to improve its stewardship of taxpayer money. As France-based trainmaker Alstom struggles with testing requirements and production defects on the $2.3 billion program to replace the Acela trains, Amtrak has had to spend millions of dollars in maintenance costs to keep its aging, existing fleet in operation.

Organizations: Amtrak, Alstom Locations: France

☆ Longer Commutes, Shorter Lives
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( David Leonhardt | More About David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The scheduled flight time between Los Angeles and New York, for example, has become about 30 minutes longer. Nearly every other part of the trip also lasts longer than it would have a few decades ago, thanks to traffic on the roads and airport security. All told, a cross-country trip could take a few more hours today than it would have in the 1970s. In 1969, Metroliner trains made two-and-a-half-hour, nonstop trips between Washington and New York. Today, there are no nonstop trains on that route, and the fastest trip, on Acela trains, takes about 20 minutes longer than the Metroliner once did.

Persons: Shorter Organizations: Aviation, Auto Locations: U.S, Los Angeles and New York, Washington and New York

☆ Every single one of Amtrak's shiny new Acela trains has a manufacturing defect, audit says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

All of Amtrak's new Acela trains produced so far have manufacturing defects. AdvertisementAdvertisementAmtrak's new Acela trains could be delayed yet again, according to a new government audit of the $2.1 billion project. Amtrak's Inspector General found manufacturing defects in all 12 of the trainsets and 22 café cars produced so far. Scott Olson/Getty ImagesAmtrak's new high-speed Acela trains, which will have nearly 25% more seats than their predecessor and operate at top speeds of 160 mph, were originally scheduled to launch service in Spring 2021. Amtrak says data provided by Alstom shows the trains are on track for initial revenue launch in 2024.

Persons: General's, —, it's, Scott Olson, General, Laura Mason Organizations: Service, Alstom, Amtrak, Liberty, FRA Locations: Hornell , New York

☆ US passenger railroad Amtrak high-speed Acela program facing new delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Amtrak Acela train arrives at New York's Penn Station, the nation's busiest train hub, in New York City, U.S., May 25, 2017. The Amtrak inspector general in a report on Tuesday said the program faces further delays because the new Amtrak trains have not met Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requirements and all of the trainsets produced so far have defects. The report added the likeliest cause of more delays would be a lack of a validated trainset model, followed by certain trainset defects. Alstom said it is working with the FRA to meet requirements "through their first-ever safety certification for high-speed trains." Congress approved $66 billion for rail as part of the 2021 infrastructure bill, with Amtrak receiving $22 billion.

Persons: Mike Segar, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Josie Kao Organizations: Amtrak, Station, REUTERS, Rights, Alstom, Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, Boston, Washington

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A privately owned high-speed passenger train service launched Friday between Florida's two biggest tourist hubs. The Brightline train is a $5 billion bet by owner Fortress Investment Group that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 3.5-hour, 235-mile (378-kilometer) trip between Miami and Orlando — about 30 minutes less than the average drive. Brightline, which began running its neon-yellow trains the 70 miles (112 kilometers) between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century. The death is the privately owned railroad’s 12th in 2023 and its 98th since July 2017. The only other U.S. high-speed line is Amtrak’s Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C., which began in 2000.

Persons: —, Orlando —, Ted White, That’s, didn't, Brightline Organizations: Fortress Investment Group, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami -, Delray Beach Police Department, Press, D.C, Amtrak Locations: ORLANDO, Fla, Miami, West Palm, Miami - Orlando, South Florida, Delray Beach, Southern California, Las Vegas, Boston, Washington

The only other U.S. high-speed line is Amtrak's Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C., which began in 2000. Brightline began planning in 2012. A 2018 partnership with Richard Branson's Virgin Group to rebrand Brightline as Virgin Trains USA quickly soured. According to the lawsuit, Brightline says Virgin “ceased to constitute a brand of international high repute, largely because of matters related to the pandemic." He said Brightline’s accommodations “compare really well to some of the best trains” he’s taken in Europe, where high-speed rail between cities is common.

Persons: Florida's Brightline, It's, Mike Reininger, John Renne, Brightline, ” Renne, Richard Branson's, Virgin “, hasn’t, Eric Flowers, ”, ” Brightline, Reininger, ” Reininger, Robert Barr, You’ve, Barr Organizations: MIAMI, Fortress Investment, West Palm Beach, D.C, Amtrak, Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban, Environmental Solutions, Miami -, Richard Branson's Virgin Group, Virgin Trains USA, Virgin, Orlando Locations: United States, Miami, Orlando, West Palm, Southern California, Las Vegas, Boston, Washington, Florida, Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami - Orlando, London, U.S, West, County, We’re, Vero, Brightline’s Miami, South, Florida’s, Europe

☆ San Francisco’s ‘doom loop’ is a warning for every American city. Here’s how we can fix it — before it’s too late.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

If you want to rile up a San Francisco native, mention the doom loop. But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

Persons: Nobody's, I've, It's, it's, who'd, Paul Chinn, nix, aren't, rafter, Tayfun, Francis Wood, fixable, Berkeley, Adam Rogers Organizations: Liberal, Homelessness, Bay Area, Pride, Black Panthers, Washington Monthly, San Francisco, Getty, SF, Supervisors, Crafts, Planners, Foods, Anadolu Agency, Walgreens, Nordstrom, Unit Locations: San Francisco, Bay, Francisco, California, Black, Los Angeles, Boston , New York, Washington, United States, Barcelona, Paris, St, Barbary, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Angeles, Houston, Helsinki, East, Treasure, Emeryville

☆ How to save San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesThis is just a matter of good old-fashioned supply and demand. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

☆ How Siemens and Alstom are preparing for a passenger rail boom in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Once a leader in passenger rail, the U.S. has since fallen behind many industrialized nations in rail funding and ridership — but investment is picking up. Investment in passenger rolling stock across North America, which includes high-speed rail, light rail, metro, passenger coaches and locomotives, is expected to increase 4.7% per year between 2021 and 2026, according to a projection from McKinsey & Company. Aside from the government, private companies are also working on beefing up passenger rail in the country. Brightline has already built out its passenger rail service in Florida, and its sister company, Brightline West, is working on a high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. CNBC visited railcar manufacturers Siemens and Alstom to see how they are ramping up passenger train production and to learn how the companies view the future of passenger rail in the U.S. Watch the video to find out more.

Persons: Marc Buncher, Scott Sherin, We've, Brightline Organizations: Investment, McKinsey & Company, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Siemens Mobility North, CNBC, Alstom, Amtrak, Alstom U.S, Siemens, U.S . Locations: U.S, North America, United States, Hornell , New York, Europe, Florida, Las Vegas, Southern California

☆ Amtrak CEO: Pandemic delayed profitability by years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Instead, CEO Stephen Gardner asked a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday to tolerate losses for several more years for the federally funded rail system while the company and country invest billions into improving passenger rail service. “Financial performance is not Amtrak’s sole objective,” CEO Stephen Gardner said in his written testimony to a House Transportation subcommittee. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, left, accompanied by Northeast Corridor Commission Executive Director Mitch Warren, right, speaks during a House Transportation subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Amtrak is also developing new lines of service to connect fast-growing regions and growing frequencies on existing routes. Subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, said Amtrak needed to prioritize its existing network over adding new routes.

Persons: Stephen Gardner, Gardner, Mitch Warren, Andrew Harnik, We’re, ” Gardner, Troy Nehls, ” Nehls Organizations: CNN, Amtrak, “, Transportation, Penn Central, Corridor Commission, Capitol, Long Distance, Texas Republican Locations: Washington, Texas

☆ Amtrak's new high-speed trains have been delayed again because the tracks they're supposed to run on are too old and busted
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The debut of Amtrak's new high-speed trains has been delayed for a third year in a row to 2024. It's due to complications passing federal safety checks on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak said. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington are notoriously run down. The trains' manufacturer, Alstom, says the culprit isn't the trains themselves, but rather the tracks they're supposed to run on. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington, a high-traffic section known as the Northeast corridor, are notoriously rundown — with some tracks dating back 150 years.

Organizations: Amtrak, Morning, Alstom, Federal Railroad, FRA Locations: Boston, Washington, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ Amtrak's upcoming high-speed Acela trains have been delayed again — see what they'll look like
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

But in anticipation of the smoother and faster trains — as delayed as they may be — let's take a closer look at the interior, which will appeal to Amtrak riders who are tired of the old cars lined with grey and blue seats. Joey Hadden/InsiderSource: Amtrak

Persons: Joey Hadden Organizations: Amtrak

☆ Amtrak’s New $2 Billion High-Speed Acela Fleet Slowed by Century-Old Tracks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Ted Mann | Photographs Rachel Wisniewski For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ The US still waits for its high-speed rail revolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

So why doesn’t the United States have a high-speed rail network like those? Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. William C. Vantuono, editor-in-chief of Railway Age“Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. Corridors for the greatest potentialBrightline West and CHSR offer templates for the future expansion of high-speed rail in North America. “Where those conditions apply in Europe and Asia, high-speed rail reduces air’s share of the market from 100% to near zero.

☆ Why U.S. rail travel is so expensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Amtrak's Acela is the fastest passenger train in the Western Hemisphere, but tickets can be pricey. Amtrak fares can vary dramatically in the Northeast, home of the most heavily used stretch of track in the railroad's nationwide network, which also includes stops in Canada. But tickets are often more expensive than plane tickets, despite flight times being much shorter than the typical train ride. In November 2021 the federal government allotted Amtrak $66 billion to upgrade equipment and repair and expand its network. Amtrak wants to increase ridership by 20 million annually, and expand into areas around the country with fast-growing populations but little passenger rail service.

☆ Lin-Manuel Miranda's first songbook is out, from 'In the Heights' to 'Hamilton' and 'Encanto'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

So even for Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, his first songbook, containing 27 songs from “Hamilton,” “Encanto,” “In the Heights” and more, was a big deal. At the event, his nephew Alejandro performed “Dos Oruguitas” (from “Encanto”) on the piano, and was joined by his own teacher for “You’ll Be Back” (from “Hamilton”). You grew up with musical theater and piano lessons — how does it feel to have your own songbook? And it really was a teacher who brought me out of just writing songs about girls in the back of the classroom. That’s a really fun thing about the whole process: When you’re there early enough, your songs can really be a part of a give-and-take.

Amtrak announced Wednesday it is suspending long-distance routes ahead of a Friday night deadline to avert a strike along the country's freight rail lines. Much of Amtrak's long-distance service runs on freight tracks. The company had already suspended 10 of 15 routes when it made the announcement around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday that service on its five remaining long-distance routes would be suspended. The cancellations, which will take effect late Thursday, will affect 23 trains on the BNSF Railway, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines. The Associated Press reported that by 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, one labor union had already rejected a deal.

Amtrak on Monday said it had canceled three long-distance train routes in advance of a looming railroad union strike that is threatening to hobble the nation's economy. The rail line said it was phasing in additional schedule "adjustments" as needed. Freight rail workers are threatening to strike for higher pay, more generous paid leave and a renegotiation of strict attendance policies and broader working conditions. A national rail strike "would be an economic disaster — freezing the flow of goods, emptying shelves, shuttering workplaces and raising prices for families and businesses alike," Suzanne Clark, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Monday. The Association of American Railroads trade group has estimated that shutting down the railroads would cost the economy $2 billion a day.

Earn 2 points per $1 spent on other qualifying travel purchases. The card earns 3 Guest Rewards points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel, including all your visits to the food cart while onboard. If your travel routine varies, though, you're likely better off with a more versatile travel rewards credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card. Bottom line: The Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard® is a good choice if you take Amtrak frequently and like to redeem points for train travel — but if you prefer flexibility, other travel rewards cards are likely a better option. Benefits and featuresThe extra perks for carrying the Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard® are best suited to those who travel with Amtrak frequently.

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