Latest news with #CaliforniaZephyr
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council to discuss letter regarding Amtrak funding
OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa City Council during Tuesday's meeting at Bridge View Center is anticipated to authorize a letter from mayor Rick Johnson to several of Iowa's congressional delegation regarding funding from Amtrak service next year. The letter, addressed to Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Reps. Marianette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, discusses concerns about the potential lack of funding as part of the next federal budget. Amtrak, which is subsidized by the government, operates the California Zephyr, one of two long-distance trains that runs through Iowa. Ottumwa is one of the stops on the route, which stretches from Chicago to Emeryville, California, near San Francisco. However, without financial support, the route could be discontinued under U.S. Code if Congress fails to provide funding for train service. So far, the Trump Administration has not indicated if there will be funding available. "Amtrak has not submitted a grant request for FY 2026 yet and has signaled it may not submit one at all," Johnson said in his letter. "It is critical that Amtrak be funded in 2026 so they can continue to operate their passenger trains across southern Iowa. "Amtrak is a key component of economic vitality in southern Iowa and the number of travelers using Amtrak continues to increase every year as airplane travel becomes more restricted and more expensive." Ottumwa was the third-most popular stop in Iowa according to Amtrak's most recent figures from fiscal year 2024. The Ottumwa stop featured 8,719 riders, and the only two stops with higher ridership were Osceola (13,194) and Mount Pleasant (9,128), which bracket the Ottumwa stop to the west and east, respectively, on the California Zephyr. Also, Amtrak has been reconstructing the depot's platform and other making other improvements to the station since 2022, which initially cost about $14 million. "Without Amtrak service to and from Ottumwa, the results would be catastrophic to both our local economy as well as reduced tourism travel across southern Iowa," Johnson said in the letter. Also, the council is expected to establish fees for various permits, which will be effective July 1. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Wapello County Board of Supervisors The supervisors will meet in regular session Tuesday at the courthouse to discuss minor items, but will later enter a work session to discuss the makeup of the EMS advisory council, which was tabled two weeks ago amid frustration over favoritism from City of Ottumwa officials, who were concerned the council wasn't constructed to meet the community's needs. The regular meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the third-floor courtroom/board room, but the work session will be at 10 a.m. in the supervisors' office on North Court Street. Two weeks ago, the supervisors adopted a resolution to declare EMS as an essential county service, which was also intended to kickstart the creation of the advisory council and the work to begin assessing the county's needs. However, the creation of the list was tabled for more discussion over concerns regarding the representation, specifically the lack of law enforcement officials among the 14 council members.
Condé Nast Traveler
14-05-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
How to Use the Amtrak Rail Pass to Plan the Ultimate Summer Train Trip
Spending a month on Amtrak wasn't like a road trip or hopping between flights—it was its own world. Time stretched, landscapes transformed, and strangers became companions in a way that rarely happens at an airport or roadside inn. Each morning, I woke up somewhere new: rolling through misty Louisiana bayous, past jagged Montana cliffs, across the vast Great Plains. Unlike planes, where everyone stays in their bubble, trains are oddly social—a rotating cast of characters and glimpses into lives I'd never otherwise encounter. With the USA Rail Pass, I crossed the country three times in 30 days, covering thousands of miles on some of Amtrak's most scenic routes. I watched the Pacific creep into view on the Coast Starlight, rode the California Zephyr through the Rockies at sunset, and drifted to sleep somewhere in Texas on the Sunset Limited. The pass made it possible to hop on and off long-haul routes around the country—with flexibility and access that's rare to come by when traveling in the US. Of course, not everything is romantic. Delays happen—a freight derailment added five hours to one ride, and we even hit a 14-foot alligator outside New Orleans. Amtrak time is loose; arrival estimates are more suggestion than promise. Dining options are limited on most routes—I skipped the café car entirely and stocked up on groceries near train stations. And sleeping upright for multiple nights? Definitely not for everyone. Still, the quirks are part of the charm. Train travel forces you to let go of urgency and just be—watching the sun rise over the Cascades, chatting with a stranger over a microwaved sandwich, or simply listening to the steady hum of the rails beneath you. How the Amtrak Rail Pass works The pass includes 10 'segments' of coach-class travel within 30 days for $499 (sometimes less during sales). A segment is counted each time you board an Amtrak train—whether it's a short hop from New York to Philadelphia or a multi-day ride from Chicago to Los Angeles. Most long-distance Amtrak routes are eligible, but high-speed trains like the Acela aren't included. You can buy the pass online, and each segment requires a reservation—so book early, especially in summer. While coach is included even on overnight trains, sleeper cars cost extra. Some routes only run a few times a week, so planning your route ahead of time helps. Big Sur and Bixby Bridge along California State Route 1, USA Alexander Spatari The best routes to take During my month on the rails, I rode some of Amtrak's most iconic long-haul routes—listed here in order of my personal favorites. Some were about where they took me, but most were worth it for the ride alone:
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado plans daily ‘mountain rail' service by 2026 as part of Moffat Tunnel lease agreement
The East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel near Tolland is pictured on June 26, 2023. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) Colorado will continue to lease a crucial piece of state-owned infrastructure to the Union Pacific railroad for the next 25 years in exchange for help with its plans to expand passenger rail service to several mountain communities, under an agreement signed Monday. The deal, signed by Gov. Jared Polis and Union Pacific president Beth Whited at the governor's residence in Denver, extends the railroad giant's lease of the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel, which crosses under the Continental Divide between Winter Park and Rollinsville. The state owns the tunnel, which was completed in 1926 and leased to Union Pacific for a term of 99 years. A short-term agreement had previously extended the lease for four months following its expiration in December 2024 while the new terms were finalized. 'Moffat Tunnel represents an important part of Colorado's history, as well as a bright part of our future,' Polis said in a press release. 'With this work, we are showing the country a new model for pursuing passenger rail through collaboration with the railroad.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Following the 1997 decommissioning of the Tennessee Pass line near Leadville, the Moffat Tunnel route is the only way for trains to travel between Colorado's Western Slope and the Front Range. In addition to regular freight traffic, the tunnel is used by Amtrak's long-haul California Zephyr passenger line, which makes several stops in Colorado on its route between Chicago and San Francisco, and the seasonal Winter Park Express, which offers service to the Winter Park ski resort from December to March. The core of the new lease agreement is a state license for three daily round trips, or up to 506,000 train miles annually, for a new passenger rail service between Denver and mountain communities to the northwest. The mountain route, plans for which have been floated by Colorado transportation officials for the last several years, would complement the state's separate efforts to reestablish north-south passenger service along the Front Range, still a decade or more away. The state promised Monday that passenger rail to the mountains will be operational much sooner than that, with daily, year-round service between Denver and Granby beginning by 2026, and 'flexibility for the state to expand service in future phases' as far as Steamboat Springs, Craig and Hayden. That expansion will depend on 'needed capital improvements completed that are identified in the access agreement,' the state says. 'Today's agreement will offer residents and visitors throughout Colorado new opportunities and choices to get where they're going,' said Sally Chafee, chief of staff for the Colorado Department of Transportation. 'More passenger rail trips between the Front Range and mountain communities in Winter Park, Granby, and beyond will offer an option in addition to the drive over Berthoud Pass.' The new lease agreement also includes provisions finalizing Union Pacific's sale to CDOT of the Burnham Lead Line, railroad track easement near the disused Burnham Yard in central Denver. The acquisition will help facilitate the planned redevelopment of the 60-acre former rail yard site. 'Union Pacific is proud of the hard work and spirit of collaboration that went into this agreement with the State of Colorado,' Withed said. 'We came together as true partners and the result is an agreement that benefits the citizens of Colorado and the businesses and people who rely upon Union Pacific to deliver the goods and material vital to today's economy.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Business Insider
28-04-2025
- Business Insider
I spent 15 hours in a roomette on an overnight Amtrak train for $400. I made 4 mistakes I won't repeat on future rides.
I traveled from Denver to Salt Lake City on an overnight Amtrak train in January. I booked a $400 roomette accommodation for the 15-hour train journey. I made a few mistakes along the way, from not knowing dining etiquette to skipping a rest stop. I took an overnight Amtrak train from Denver to Salt Lake City in January. I spent the 15-hour journey in a private 23-square-foot space with two seats and two beds — otherwise known as a roomette. I was no stranger to the environment. I had previously taken two other overnight rides on Amtrak trains. So I thought I'd get through the experience well prepared and with no regrets. But I'm still learning from my travel mistakes. Here are four slip-ups from my most recent trip that I won't forget on future rides. I should have called to request a room on the train's top floor. I traveled from Denver to Salt Lake City on Amtrak's California Zephyr — a double-decker train. My previous Amtrak rides had single-story cars, so I was excited to step on board and hoped my room would be on the top floor. It wasn't. And although the views of Rocky Mountain National Park were spectacular from my room, I could see further out from the dining car's windows on the second story, and I longed for a room with a higher vantage point. Although Amtrak's booking platform didn't have an option to select a specific room, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari told Business Insider that you can call the contact center, speak to a live agent, and request a particular room if it's still available. He added that family and accessible bedrooms are on the lower level, regular bedrooms are on the top level, and roomettes are on both levels. I should have brought snacks for in-between meals. My Amtrak ticket included three meals. An attendant came by my room to reserve a seat in the dining car for each. I had breakfast just after we departed at about 9 a.m. I chose the noon lunch slot and the 5 p.m. dinner slot. I didn't get hungry between breakfast and lunch, but around 3 p.m., my stomach started growling. In hindsight, I should have packed snacks for the ride. The train had a café car with snacks, beverages, and microwavable meals for sale, but I decided to save my money and fuel up at dinner. I didn't realize I was supposed to wait for meal call before entering the dining car. Hungry and eager, I entered the dining car a minute before 5 p.m. The empty tables were set with mini flower arrangements that looked charming against the rolling canyon backdrop out the windows. At the other end of the car, I spotted a handful of employees looking at me and talking among themselves. "I'm here for my dinner reservation," I said. One replied that I was supposed to wait for an attendant to announce dinner over the intercom. Embarassed, I apologized and started to turn back. They told me to stay and sit at the first table while another employee went to the intercom. I should have taken advantage of every rest stop. Some stops on overnight Amtrak trains are long enough for passengers to get out and walk around the platform for a few minutes. I typically take this opportunity to get fresh air and stretch my legs, whether sunny or snowing outside. But when this train made its final long stop roughly 15 minutes before dinner, I was entranced in a book and decided to stay in. After dinner, I regretted not getting off at that final extended stop when I craved space to stretch out and move my body. When I arrived in Salt Lake City around midnight, I was grateful for fresh air and open space.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
One of the best train routes in the US, Seattle to New York offers spectacular scenery
Train travel in the United States is an unforgettable experience. Advertisement You can travel for days, even weeks, through the world's third-largest country with Amtrak, the US national passenger rail company, witnessing a wealth of spectacular scenery across nearly 34,500km of track. Amtrak offers more than 30 train routes to over 500 destinations in 46 of the 48 contiguous US states – not South Dakota or Wyoming – and three Canadian provinces. We are taking one of the most breathtaking journeys of all: from Seattle, in the US state of Washington, all the way across the country to New York on the east coast. The California Zephyr, which runs between the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago, is Amtrak's longest daily route. Photo: Amtrak Our journey does not get off to the best start. An announcement sounds on the Seattle railway platform early on a chilly morning: our train cannot depart – a mudslide is blocking the track ahead. Rail passengers in the United States, as in many other countries, often face delays, detours and replacement transport.
