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Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since Dec 10, 1970.
Publisher: Message Media Company,
PO Box 9007,
Berkeley CA 94709.
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Amtrak said that it would run reduced service in the Northeast Corridor on Monday, January 24, after an especially severe snowstorm hit the area on the weekend. The brunt of the storm hit Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and those states are likely to be the major trouble points for train travel.

It was lucky for transportation that the storm hit on a weekend rather than on a commuting weekday. Actually, train service did not do terribly badly. News reports focused on the major problems of airports and highways. Trains generally kept running on a reduced schedule with delays, but were getting through. 

April 2005 Amtrak Schedule Changes: Capitol Limited (Train 29) will run
earlier from Wash DC, departing mid-afternoon, instead of 5:20pm. Sunset
Limited will operate from LA earlier in the afternoon. One Seattle-Portland
roundtrip will be added. Lake Shore Limited (Train 49) will depart NYP at
3:50pm (one hour LATER than today).

For Chicago-destined passengers from Philadelphia who used to take the
Three Rivers to Chicago, Amtrak will encourage them to travel to NYP to the
Lake Shore or to Wash DC for the Capital Limited, and NOT to travel to
Pittsburgh and then wait for the Capital Limited, although that will still
be a connection.

Train 284 will arrive NYP at 1:30pm (1 hour EARLER than today) and Train 97 will depart at 3:15pm (1 hour LATER than today), and this will restore the
upstate New York to Carolinas and Florida connection that was broken in
October 2004. The connection from Florida to upstate NY will be Train 98 to
Train 49. 

(The April schedule change should be on April 3, when Standard Time ends.)
Source: Amtrak via Stan Brandt

Severe weather conditions have been experienced in Southern California that resulted in several sinkholes and washouts reported on the Union Pacific Railroad.  Union Pacific forces report a significant amount of track and right of way work needs to be accomplished on the Coast route between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, including tie replacement, ditching, track undercutting, and surfacing. 

The following is the latest update resulting from the Amtrak/Union Pacific conference call as of 10:00 a.m. (PT) Jan. 20, 2005.  All dates are contingent upon no further weather-related problems:

Coast Starlight
· Regular service expected to resume between Los Angeles and Oakland on Feb. 28, 2005.,

Pacific Surfliner
· Regular service expected to resume between Los Angeles and Goleta on Feb. 8, 2005.
· Regular service expected to resume between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo on Feb. 28, 2005.

AMTRAK STATEMENT ON THE CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR
Trains 5 & 6, /California Zephyr/ route
Denver-Salt Lake City-Reno-Auburn/Sacramento, Calif.

Amtrak plans to restore full /California Zephyr/ service later this
month.  Effective with the westbound departure from Chicago on Jan. 28
and the eastbound departure from Emeryville, Calif., on Jan. 29, the
/California Zephyr/ will operate over its full route between Chicago and
Emeryville, via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and Reno.

Until those dates, the /California Zephyr/ will operate between Chicago
and Denver only.  This temporary service suspension was first announced
Jan. 13.

Passengers ticketed to western Colorado, Utah and eastern Nevada will be
offered refunds.  Passengers ticketed between Northern California and
Chicago can be accommodated on the /Empire Builder/ and /Coast
Starlight/, via Portland, Ore., as available.

Summary of major Nov 1 Amtrak timetable changes.
Empire Builder 50th and 75th anniversaries.
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