In an Amended Complaint filed with the Surface Transportation Board, the agency is seeking the investigation for causing unacceptable train delays on the Illini/Saluki service that uses the CN line from Chicago to Carbondale, Ill.
In support of passengers, state partners and its own business operations, Amtrak is taking action to improve the on-time performance (OTP) of its trains that operate over tracks controlled by other railroads.
Under federal law, Amtrak has a statutory right to preference in the dispatching of intercity passenger trains before freight trains. In an Amended Complaint filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), Amtrak is seeking an investigation of Canadian National Railway (CN) for causing unacceptable train delays on the Illini/Saluki service that uses the CN line from Chicago to Carbondale, Ill.
Ad Loading...
Specifically, the OTP of the Illini/Saluki service was 49% for the quarter ending June 30 and just 42% for the prior quarter. In fact, the OTP for this state-supported service has been below 80% for three solid years and below 60% for most of that time, according to Amtrak.
Amtrak is taking this action under Section 213 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA), which mandates that the STB initiate an investigation upon the filing of a complaint by Amtrak if the OTP of an intercity passenger train falls below 80% for two consecutive quarters.
The Amended Complaint is part of the same case that Amtrak filed with the STB regarding CN’s performance in January 2012. The proceedings were stayed while Amtrak and CN attempted to address the issue of delays informally, but OTP has remained poor on the Illini/Saluki service.
Therefore, Amtrak is now asking the STB to investigate the causes of delay on that service, and to award damages and other relief if violations of Amtrak’s right to preference are found.
Poor on-time performance creates a major disruption for Amtrak customers due to delayed trains and missed connections. It also negatively impacts Amtrak and state-supported services through decreased ridership, lost revenues and higher operating costs.
Company officials said that this latest contract extension with Metrolinx consolidates the company’s position as the leading private provider of Operations and maintenance services in North America.
The new cars, model R262, will be funded by the MTA’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, which received a historic $68 billion in funding from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted State Budget.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
