United Rail Passenger Alliance

SPECIAL NOTE: This is the 50th and final TWA for 2006, unless breaking news warrants publication between now and the first week in January, 2007. Thank you for reading and contributing to TWA in 2006. Read more…

Volume 3 Number 49

1. Last week, here at This Week, we noted for the previous week how Amtrak Chicago boss Don Saunders and his many employees appeared to have “gotten the drop” on Old Man Winter, as he blew into the Midwest during a late fall visit.We noted that in years past, Amtrak in Chicago has struggled, often without success, against the cruelties of harsh winter weather. It has often appeared that like clockwork, Amtrak in Chicago has been caught totally unaware that winter was coming, and preparations should have be made for the convenience of passengers and personnel.It can be said with some surety Mr. Saunders and his Chicago operations employees did what they were supposed to do to be prepared for the storm. It’s too bad the folks at Amtrak’s National Operations Center in Wilmington, Delaware didn’t do as well as Mr. Saunders to keep things going for the benefit of Amtrak’s passengers and crews who were battling the elements. Mr. Saunders got the trains out of the terminals and on the road. It’s what happened then that things went far awry.
2. With the kind permission of The State Journal-Register newspaper of Springfield, Illinois, which has been a leader in Illinois covering Amtrak issues, we reprint two news reports of Friday, December 8, 2006. Read more…

Volume 3 Number 48

1. In years past, Amtrak in Chicago has struggled, often without success, against the cruelties of harsh winter weather. It has often appeared that like clockwork, Amtrak in Chicago has been caught totally unaware that winter was coming, and preparations should have be made for the convenience of passengers and personnel.This year, Amtrak Chicago boss Don Saunders and his many employees appear to have “gotten the drop” on Old Man Winter, as he blew in with a late fall visit to the Midwest.Here is a December 1st internal Amtrak report of the preparations made in Chicago last week in preparation for the coming pre-Winter killer snow and ice storm. Read more…