Amtrak has suspended service on some long-distance train routes beginning Tuesday as the rail industry braces for a potential strike that could begin later this week among railroad freight workers.
The cancellations for Tuesday impact certain trains that run between Chicago and the West Coast along Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, California Zephyr and Empire Builder routes as part of what Amtrak is calling a “phased adjustment” to its service in preparation for potential freight rail service interruption Amtrak says could “significantly impact intercity rail service.”
However, the cancellations come as concerns have mounted amid labor negotiations among unionized railroad workers and employers ahead of a Friday deadline. In a letter last week, the American Trucking Association asked Congressional leaders to intervene in hopes of preventing a potential strike which, it appears, would primarily involve freight workers.
SERVICE ADVISORY: Southwest Chief Trains 3 and 4 which are scheduled to depart Chicago (CHI) and Los Angeles (LAX) on 9/13 are cancelled. For reservation assistance, please call 1-800-872-7245.
— Amtrak Alerts (@AmtrakAlerts) September 12, 2022
At this point, it does not appear trains on Amtrak’s critical Northeast Corridor will be significantly impacted.
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An Amtrak California Zephyr train departs Chicago Union Station. LUKE SHARRETT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Amtrak’s Southwest Chief route operates between Chicago and Los Angeles, making stops in Kansas City, Albuquerque and Flagstaff along the 40-plus-hour route.
The California Zephyr runs between Chicago and Emeryville, California, in the Bay Area. Over its typical 51-hour, 20-minute journey, the train makes stops in Omaha, Nebraska, Denver and Salt Lake City.
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Meanwhile, the Empire Builder runs from Chicago, making a stop in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Spokane, before continuing to either Seattle or Portland, Oregon (and in the reverse direction, too). A typical journey takes around 46 hours.
Amtrak Empire Builder 2021. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY
TPG will update this developing story with new information as it becomes available.
Featured photo by Luke Sharrett/AFP/Getty Images.
