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NEWS ABOUT: Amtrak

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16 Hurt in California Amtrak Crash

Low-speed crash caused only minor injuries

(AP) - An Amtrak train crashed into another train unloading passengers at a station in California, leaving 16 people with mainly minor injuries, authorities said. The crash occurred late yesterday as the passenger train, traveling at a speed of up to about 20mph, struck the stationary Amtrak train at the station in... More »

Maryland, Va. Declare States of Emergency

As Irene approaches, New York City warns transit may close

(Newser) - The governors of Maryland and Virginia have declared states of emergency as the East Coast readies for Hurricane Irene. Maryland’s governor has ordered an evacuation of Ocean City and encouraged others in low-lying coastal areas to depart and “stay with someone who loves them” this weekend, the Washington ... More »

Amtrak Death Toll Hits 6

Truck drivers, train engineer watched tragedy unfold

(Newser) - The death toll from Friday's Amtrak accident is now at 6, and authorities say another 28 people are unaccounted for. But that may be because passengers left the scene without letting officials know, the AP reports. As the truck plowed into the train, two truck drivers watched helplessly from... More »

At Least 2 Dead After Truck Plows Into Amtrak Train

Fiery crash ensured; another 20 are injured

(Newser) - At least two people are dead after a semi-trailer smashed into an Amtrak train en route from Chicago to Emeryville, Calif., today. The Chicago Tribune reports that the truck driver and at least one passenger were killed; another 20 or so were injured in the fiery crash. The truck apparently... More »

Sen. Schumer Calls for 'No Fly List' on US Trains

We need tougher security in wake of Osama compound intel, he says

(Newser) - Since Americans love flying so much these days, New York Sen. Charles Schumer wants to make train travel a little more like it. He's calling for the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Flight program with its "No Fly List" to be extended to Amtrak, creating a "... More »

GOP Slams $53B High-Speed Rail Plan

Huge rail boost likely to meet stiff House opposition

(Newser) - Joe Biden announced an ambitious $53 billion plan to expand America's high-speed rail program yesterday, drawing immediate fire from Republicans. "This is like giving Bernie Madoff another chance at handling your investment portfolio," said House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica, pointing to previous rail failures and labeling Amtrak... More »

Amtrak to Build NY-NJ Train Tunnels for $13.5B

'Gateway Tunnel' project has planned 2020 finish

(Newser) - Amtrak plans to dig two new tunnels for commuter trains between New York and New Jersey, Reuters reports. The project, called the Gateway Tunnel and projected to cost $13.5 billion, has a loose finish date of 2020. "The two new trans-Hudson tunnels will provide long-sought, peak-period operational capacity... More »

Train Stuck in 10-Hour Trip From Hell

Passengers to Philly locked inside as temperatures plummet

(Newser) - A nighttime Amtrak train en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia was stuck on the tracks for a hellish 10 hours in frigid weather with no lights, heat or food. The doors were locked for much of that time, trapping passengers inside. It was hours before passengers were told that emergency... More »

Thousands Moon Amtrak Trains

Californians get behind showing some behind

(Newser) - Cheeky Californians got behind a local tradition again yesterday by mooning Amtrak passengers traveling through the town of Laguna Niguel. It was the 31st year for the "mooning Amtrak" event that supposedly began with a barroom bet in 1979 offering a beer to anyone who mooned a passing train.... More »

Amtrak Testing Beef-Powered Train

Cattle byproducts power America's first biodiesel train

(Newser) - America's first biodiesel train runs through the heart of Texas cattle country using fuel made from beef byproducts. The daily Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth will use the fuel for a one-year trial run, after which the rail operator will analyze data on emissions and on the... More »

2 Teen Girls Hugged, Stepped in Front of Train

Third Pennsylvania girl got cold feet just before suicide

(Newser) - Two girls killed by a speeding Amtrak train last week in Pennsylvania actually committed suicide, according to a witness and autopsy results. Vanessa Dorwart and Gina Gentile, 15 and 16, stepped on to the tracks Thursday morning just before an Acela from Boston to Washington, DC, came through town. A... More »

Senate OKs Passenger Guns on Amtrak

Refusal to allow firearms would cost system fed funds under bill

(Newser) - Amtrak passengers would be allowed to carry unloaded guns in locked containers in their checked baggage under a measure passed by the Senate yesterday, reports the New York Times. The rail corporation banned guns from checked baggage after the 9/11 attacks. The measure won the backing of all Senate Republicans... More »

Glenn Beck a 'Sack of Dog Mess': Whoopi

View host rips into Fox commentator for lying about Amtrak incident

(Newser) - Whoopi Goldberg unloaded on guest Glenn Beck on The View today over an alleged fabrication involving Amtrak and reserved seats, the Orlando Sentinel reports. “You were a lying sack of dog mess,” Goldberg told the Fox News personality. Barbara Walters said she and co-host Goldberg did not have... More »

Brit, US Cops Speak the Same Language: Doughnut

(Newser) - British transit cops in Philadelphia to trade counter-terrorism tactics with their US counterparts were treated to an American specialty, the Daily Mail reports—Dunkin’ Donuts. The UK contingent is touring railroad terminals on the East Coast so that “our two organizations” can “work and learn from each other,... More »

Obama Arrives in Washington

(Newser) - Barack Obama rolled into Washington tonight on the last stop of his historic whistlestop train journey, the Washington Post reports. Obama retraced the path of Abraham Lincoln and called for a "new declaration of independence" for the nation. To see photos of the trip—which Joe Biden joined in... More »

Obama Train Challenges Secret Service

Journey to Washington poses 137 miles of potential threats

(Newser) - Barack Obama's train ride to the presidency is giving the Secret Service 137 miles of stress, reports CNN. The president-elect's route from Philadelphia to Washington is lined with countless buildings where attackers could hide and security experts fear terrorists could sabotage some of the dozens of bridges and tunnels along... More »

Amtrak Expects Throngs Along Obama's Route

Crowds will line 137 mile rail route to DC

(Newser) - Crowds of Barack Obama supporters are expected to line the railroad tracks between Philadelphia and Washington when the president-elect retraces Abraham Lincoln's journey to Washington the weekend before his inauguration, the AP reports. Authorities don't know how many people will throng the 137 miles of tracks but are using the... More »

Weyrich, Who Coined 'Moral Majority,' Dead at 66

Conservative thinker gave name to movement key in GOP rise

(Newser) - Paul Weyrich, the influential conservative who co-founded the Heritage Foundation and coined the term “moral majority,” died today at 66, the Washington Post reports, after years of poor health. A reporter, Weyrich got his Washington entree in 1967 as press secretary for a Colorado senator. At a 1979... More »

Amtrak Sees Boom in Riders as Fuel Costs Soar

But shrunken rail service is nearing capacity

(Newser) - With fuel prices soaring, travelers are increasingly turning to Amtrak, which posted a record for passengers in May—not usually a big travel month, reports the New York Times. But the struggling rail service has shrunk so drastically since it was created in the '70s that it won't be able... More »

Bomb Dogs Will Ride Amtrak

Security stepped up on nation's rail system

(Newser) - Amtrak is stepping up security, with random screening of carry-on bags and security teams packing machine guns and leading bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains, reports AP. The new system, beginning this week, echoes stricter security procedures at the nation's airports. Amtrak insists there should be no additional departure delays... More »

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