On tap: Booze still allowed on Amtrak in New Hampshire
Riders on an Amtrak train that runs from Maine to Boston can continue buying alcoholic beverages during the 35-mile stretch of the trip that goes through New Hampshire as officials work out a โcreative solutionโ to avoid violating a state liquor law.
Morning Briefing April 1, 2021: Amtrack pitches new train route from Detroit to Toronto, Opening Day looks different for Detroit in COVID era
Amtrakโs โConnect USโ map includes a newly proposed service route from Detroit to Toronto, and from Detroit to Toledo. It also includes enhanced services (more trains) from Detroit to Chicago, Grand Rapids to Chicago and Port Huron to Chicago. Opening Day in Detroit will look much different this year compared to other years due to the pandemic. Itโs the first time Michigan has reported 6,000 cases in a single day since Dec. 5. On Tuesday, the state reported 665,948 total cases and 16,082 deaths.
Amtrak pitches new, improved train routes including Detroit to Toronto
Amtrakโs โConnect USโ map includes a newly proposed service route from Detroit to Toronto, and from Detroit to Toledo. It also includes enhanced services (more trains) from Detroit to Chicago, Grand Rapids to Chicago and Port Huron to Chicago. It claims traveling on Amtrak rail is up to 83% more energy efficient than driving and up to 73% more energy efficient than flying. Detroit to Toronto not in service since 1971Amtrak has been seeking to bring back a Detroit to Toronto corridor for years -- such service between Detroit and Toronto ended in 1971. AdThe current โdirectโ rail service between Detroit and Toronto actually starts just across the river in Windsor, Ontario.
In a leaky underwater rail tunnel, workers race against time
Amtrak workers perform tunnel repairs to a partially flooded train track bed, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Weehawken, N.J. With a new rail tunnel into New York years away at best, Amtrak is embarking on an aggressive and expensive program to fix a 110-year-old tunnel in the interim. On a recent Saturday morning, workers used heavy machinery to clear away chunks of the tunnel floor after rails and wooden ties had been removed. โIf we had a new tunnel we wouldnโt be spending anything on it,โ Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia said. On a broader scale, it must keep the tunnel operating reliably for years until a new tunnel is built and the old one can be closed for a complete overhaul. Against that backdrop, a funding dispute between local lawmakers and the administration for former President Donald Trump stalled the new tunnel project for four years.
Buttigieg to quarantine after security agent gets COVID-19
WASHINGTON โ Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will quarantine for 14 days after a member of his security detail tested positive Monday for the coronavirus. The agent had been โin close contactโ with Buttigieg, including Monday morning prior to the agentโs positive result, the Transportation Department said in a statement. Following contact tracing protocols, the department said it determined that one other person in the security detail had also been in โclose contactโ with the agent and will also quarantine for 14 days. AdโWe will continue to prioritize safety as the foundation of everything we do,โ Buttigieg told department employees in an email message last week. โWe know itโs the appropriate measure for international travel, people traveling into the U.S.,โ partly because of the threat of virus variants from other countries, Buttigieg told CNN.
'A long two days': Major storm pummels Northeast with snow
Although the heaviest parts of the storm had moved through the metropolitan area by Monday evening, lighter snow showers were expected to continue virtually all day Tuesday, forecaster James Tomasini said. โWeโre looking at a long two days here,โ New York Gov. Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday. AdHundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and aboveground New York City subway service stopped at 2 p.m. In recent days, a storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest, with some areas getting the most snow in several years.
Unions: Passenger rails need better security, no-ride list
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2021 file photo, The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge overlooks the newly-completed Moynihan Train Hall in New York. Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger rail lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. โ Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. Ferguson, of SMART-TD, acknowledged there would be a cost to creating a no-ride list, but he said it should be minimal considering that officials would simply be sharing the existing no-fly list with railroads. The unions also asked the Federal Railroad Administration to require more security, but that agency declined to intervene Thursday because the Department of Homeland Security has jurisdiction over such matters.
Michigan man sentenced in scheme to defraud Amtrak while in possession of firearms, explosives and narcotics
Newby was sentenced by United States District Judge Gershwin Drain. According to court records, from March 2018 through January 2019, Newby fraudulently obtained credit card information for more than 1,100 credit card holders. Newby used the stolen credit card information to purchase Amtrak tickets online. After purchasing the tickets, Newby would then cancel the Amtrak tickets and receive vouchers for the value of those tickets from Amtrak. Newby then advertised and sold the Amtrak vouchers to unwitting buyers on eBay at a fraction of the cost.
NYC begins registering travelers at COVID-19 checkpoints
Mayor Bill de Blasio is asking travelers from 34 states, including Florida where COVID-19 infection rates are high, to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the city. Authorities said this week a fifth of all new coronavirus cases in New York City have been from travelers entering the city from other states. Despite the specter of fines, the checkpoints are more educational than punitive, and officials acknowledged the effort relies on voluntary compliance. The campaign was criticized for sowing confusion and raising questions about how travelers' personal information would be retained. He said officials have made more than 86,000 phone calls and sent more than 20,000 text messages to travelers entering New York City from states with high coronavirus infection rates.
26-year-old driver killed in Wayne train crash
WAYNE, Mich. โ A 26-year-old man was killed in a crash at Venoy Road south of Michigan Avenue around 11:57 p.m. Saturday, Wayne police say. According to a representative from Amtrak, Train 354 struck the victimโs vehicle while it was on the tracks west of the Dearborn station. There were no reported injuries to the crew or 89 passengers. The passengers were taken to their destination by bus. Authorities are still investigating the crash.
Brother of MSU basketball player Cassius Winston dies
The brother of Michigan State University basketball star Cassius Winston died Saturday night after getting hit by a train in Albion, sources confirm. Zachary Winston, 19, was reportedly struck by an Amtrak train shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday night. He was a University of Detroit Jesuit High graduate and Albion College basketball player. As of now it is uncertain whether Cassius Winston will play in the teamโs game against Binghamton Sunday night. Police are still investigating the incident.
Amtrak announces nonstop service between DC and New York
(CNN) - Train travel between New York City and Washington is now faster than ever. On Thursday, Amtrak announced that starting in September it will offer a new direct route between Washington Union Station (WAS) and New York Penn Station (NYP). "The new Acela Nonstop service will have you halfway to your New York City or DC destination in the time it would take you to board a flight," Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement. "This new service will offer an ideal solution for travelers who want to save time and travel between city center DC and New York." Riders can expect to travel for two hours and 35 minutes instead of four hours with the direct service.