Hello Reader,

Welcome to this week’s travel trip!

Progress on Getting Amtrak Cars Back in Service

Jim Mathews, President & CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, recently shared an update on the ongoing efforts to restore Amtrak’s fleet, which has faced significant challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic. Amtrak took many revenue-producing cars out of service during the pandemic for refurbishing and repairs, but it has been slow to return.

However, despite derailments and mechanical issues, Amtrak is steadily restoring these cars to service. From my understanding, a few cars are on hold because of litigations; they were in accidents.

Key Updates:

• At the start of Fiscal Year 2024, Amtrak had 50 stored cars slated for restoration and 13 wrecked cars identified for potential repair.
  • Of these, 41 stored cars and five wrecks returned to the rails.
• Work is ongoing to restore four more Horizon coaches and seven wrecked Superliner cars.
  • However, due to their complexity and condition, some, like the Viewliner I Sleepers, have been pushed to Fiscal 2025 for restoration.
• Unfortunately, some cars were deemed unworthy of repair, including an Amfleet I table car and two coaches (Amfleet I and II).

Mathews highlighted that while these efforts are crucial, they only restore the status quo, and more work is needed to meet passenger demand. Amtrak has orders for new Acelas and Airo trainsets for state-supported routes and is planning a historic long-distance equipment order.

The newer Acelas and Airos will be operational soon. Still, the aging Superliner fleet must endure for several years until new cars start production.

In conclusion, while Amtrak has made significant strides in bringing cars back online, the hope is that fewer wrecks and derailments will allow the company to expand its fleet and better serve passengers.

For more information, check out the RPA newsletter.

Article Update: Amtrak’s Long-Distance On-Time Performance

Many Amtrak travelers have seen both the positive and negative aspects of Amtrak’s punctuality on long-distance routes. Although the aim is for trains to be on time, many factors can affect whether a train arrives as planned. I recently revised my article on this subject with the most recent data from July 2024, which explains the reasons for delays and provides information on the typical duration of delays on different routes.

For those interested in the details, the article provides a breakdown of the average delays per route and offers insights into how Amtrak manages these challenges. Planning and flexibility are crucial to turning potential frustrations into enjoyable travel experiences.

You can read the full Amtrak’s Long-Distance On-Time Performance article here.

What Kev has been up to!

This week was a slow week, but not a bad week.

After a few weeks of pleasant weather, summer returned with full force! The summer humidity hits you in the face as you leave the house. I chatted with my sister in Florida, and her weather was similar. While I like the heat, I am ready for fall.

It’s more enjoyable to call my sister because my youngest niece gets excited when she hears my voice and starts yelling, “Uncle, Uncle, I love you!”

This week, I helped a friend move a couple of digital organs around the state. It is one of those jobs where you are either working hard or waiting for the next thing, which is okay. I do not enjoy the heavy lifting as much as I enjoy getting out of the house and chatting with my best friend.

I am working on improving the Travels with Kev Facebook Page. I am starting to post more updates and changes related to Amtrak as I am able. If you are interested, you can like and Follow me.

Bringing this email to a close

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I am truly grateful for all of you who are part of this adventure!

Happy planning and safe travels!

Kev Monteith