amtrak

In 1970, Congress organized Amtrak "to take over passenger rail services previously required to be operated by private freight railroad companies in the United States." The company's name, Amtrak, "is the blending of the words 'America' and 'track.' It is properly used in documents with only the first letter capitalized. The railroad is also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation."

Since their inception, Amtrak has operated dozens of routes, including both regional rail services, such as California's "Capitol Corridor" line, and transcontinental routes, such as the "Texas Eagle," which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, via a southern route with several stops in the Lone Star State.

In 2007, Amtrak carried approximately 26 million passengers, earning approximately $2 billion dollars in revenue. Amtrak's top five stations in 2007, in terms of total ridership were New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

by Ray Salloom Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “amtrak”

• Meanwhile, at South Station, man who grabbed live catenary wires at 4 a.m. continues shocking case against Amtrak, MBTA

  
  Universal Hub - All Boston, all the time — Authority: 636
  Brian Hopkins, a New Yorker up in Boston for a little barhopping a few years back, sued Amtrak in 2008, alleging the railroad failed to alert him that climbing on top of a train at 4 a.m. and grabbing hold of the overhead wires might result in such severe burns that hed lose one of his arms. Hopkins has since added ...
  1 day ago

• Train Buffs Killed in Fullerton

  
  HolyCoast.com — Authority: 602
  The Amtrak station in Fullerton is one of the most popular places in Southern California for train buffs to congregate. Every day about 100 trains pass through the station, including the scheduled AMTRAK and Metrolink trains, and dozens of Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight trains headed to or from the Port of Los ...
  4 days ago

• VRE Leaving Amtrak

  
  We Love DC — Authority: 614
  ‘VRE heading south’ courtesy of ‘drewsaunders’ Final approval has been given to the Virginia Railway Express to abandon its 17 year relationship with Amtrak. The Northern Virginia and Potomac and Rappahannock transportation commissions all voted today in favor of awarding a new five-year contract to ...
  4 days ago

• Vote tonight to decide fate of Amtrak-VRE relationship

  
  The Washington Post — Authority: 965
  The fate of Amtraks relationship with Virginia Railway Express will be decided Thursday night as two Commonwealth transportation commissions vote on who will become the next operator of the commuter service.
  5 days ago

• Two Amtrak Bonus Point Offers Now Active

  
  inFLIGHTout - San Francisco Bay Area — Authority: 124
  In addition to the double points promotion (registration required) running through December 19th, Amtrak riders can also earn a bonus 250 points for the first Acela trip, or 100 points for the first trip on all other Amtrak trains. The new offer applies to travel between November 4 and December 19, 2009.
  5 days ago

• Chicago-bound Amtrak train hits, kills 2 in Stickney Township

  
  Chicago Breaking News — Authority: 164
  Two males were struck and killed Tuesday night in Stickney Township by an Amtrak train bound for Union Station, officials said. The inbound No. 304 train on the passenger lines Lincoln Service route was traveling through unincorporated Cook County near Stickney at about 8:30 p.m., when it struck two people ...
  6 days ago

• Everything You Lose Makes Room for Something New

  
  Blogs — Authority: 159
  Everything you lose makes room for something new. The flimsy postcard, bought at least twenty years ago and faded from its original pink, is taped to the edge of a metal bookshelf in my office. The simple hand-drawn image depicts a Victorian woman whose old-fashioned bonnet is being lifted off her head by the wind; ...
  1 week ago

• Why? – Torpedo or Crohn’s

  
  Crohns Colitis IBD and IBS info — Authority: 144
  trip footage from colorado and british columbia
  1 week ago

• Why? – Torpedo or Crohn’s

  
  Crohns Colitis IBD and IBS info — Authority: 144
  trip footage from colorado and british columbia
  1 week ago

• Amtrak loses $32 per passenger, rural airports lose even more

  
  Consumer Traveler — Authority: 142
  Pew Research released results of a study of Amtraks profitability . Or, should we say unprofitably. The national passenger rail line lost between $5 to $462 per passenger depending upon the line. Smaller airlines and airport lose even more.
  1 week ago

• Nutter Irate at SEPTA Surprise Strike

  
  Free INFO — Authority: 449
  PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter blasted SEPTA’s transit union for a calling a strike with little notice to commuters on Tuesday. “People had already gone to bed. Some people were already at their job,” Nutter said. “To find out you can’t get home is the height of the lack of ...
  1 week ago

• F--- Amtrak.

  
  rb — Authority: 124
  Normally Im on the side of our national passenger rail network, but their Thanksgiving pricing practices are unconscionable. Two days before or after the holiday, whats normally a $70 BOS-NYP ticket on a Regional train costs $151. Acela tickets, usually between $89 and $120, cost $155. Its been this way since ...
  1 week ago

• SEPTA on Strike

  
  Deconlabel — Authority: 444
  SEPTA has gone on Strike!SEPTA has gone on Strike! SEPTA’s strike closes all subway, bus and trolley service. The SEPTA Transport Workers Union Local 243 Strike started moments ago at 3 am EST. It is affecting counties of Bucks, Montgomery and Chester.Regional Rail is running, reports Philly.com.Hundreds of ...
  1 week ago

• Three Amtrak haiku

  
  DanielNester — Authority: 434
  Yonkers at sunset: My backpack bursts open full of used underwear. If you stare enough at Poughkeepsie, you will make it go away. The boy keeps asking questions. Isnt it enough hes on a train? Above: British lobby card for Flash Gordon (1980)   From DanielNester.com
  1 week ago

• SEPTA on strike threat is ended

  
  surroundings me — Authority: 435
  A contract agreement was expected today after Gov. Rendell kept negotiators talking until 10:15 last night. Negotiators for SEPTA and its largest union, ordered back to the bargaining table by Gov. Rendell to avert the threat of a transit strike during the World Series, were optimistic last night that a new ...
  1 week ago

• Urban blight: Group seeks fix for Main Street, Amtrak lot

  
  The Hook News Blog — Authority: 529
  The owners of the Amtrak parking lot have graded and filled potholes, but have never paved the lot. FILE PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER Although there have been many big plans for the revitalization of West Main Street, including a streetcar , a multi-story mixed use building , and several ambitious UVA expansion ...
  1 week ago

• World Series Travel Tips

  
  Intelligent Travel Blog — Authority: 132
  Going to the World Series this year? Whether youre a Phillies or Yankees fans (Im just upset my hometown Nationals forgot how to play ball this year), here are some tips on traveling in both cities. Getting There Call it the Amtrak Series, but the cheapest way to get from city to city is by bus. Budget buses ...
  1 week ago

• Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 02. November 2009

  
  Urban Milwaukee — Authority: 124
  Charter Wire makes its move – JSOnline Big changes in the air for Mitchell International travelers – JSOnline EPA warns against rail sprawl « The Daily Reporter MEDC, other Wisconsin lenders get tax credit allocations – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Milwaukee County has a transit crisis – ...
  1 week ago

• Stuck in Depew with nothing to do….

  
  Sheryl Gwyther - author — Authority: 119
  Never heard of Depew ? No, neither had I, but if one travels from Chicago to Niagara Falls via Buffalo on AMTRAK, the inside of Depew Railway Station becomes very familiar. We’re used to waiting for planes and trains – there’s always something to do to fill in the time in the cities. Depew- Buffalo should be ...
  1 week ago

• If Obama passes healthcare...

  
  lgstarr — Authority: 434
  Heres what you can expect: The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - theyve had 234 years to get it right; it is broke, and even though heavily subsidized, it cant compete with private sector FedExp and UPS services. Social Security was established in 1935 - theyve had 74 years to get it right; it is ...
  1 week ago

Comments about amtrak