Amtrak Story Archives - Page 2 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

CSX Train Derails In New River Gorge, Injuring 3 Railroad Workers

In a statement, CSX said an empty coal train struck a rock slide before 5 a.m. near Sandstone. The train’s four locomotives derailed and one caught fire.

A CSX train derailed early Wednesday in the New River Gorge, but no life-threatening injuries or hazardous materials were involved, according to the railroad.

In a statement, CSX said a 109-car empty coal train struck a rock slide before 5 a.m. near Sandstone.

The train’s four locomotives derailed and one caught fire. One locomotive and one fuel tank went into the river, according to the West Virginia Emergency Management Division.

Three crew members were on board – an engineer, a conductor and an engineer trainee. All three were injured, CSX said, though to what extent was not immediately clear.

The railroad said an unknown quantity of diesel fuel spilled and that it would deploy containment measures in the New River.

The Department of Health and Human Resources notified local water systems that could be affected. West Virginia American Water is monitoring water quality and has not shut down any intakes.

Amtrak’s Cardinal was canceled in both directions through West Virginia because of the derailment.

The CSX derailment comes as another big eastern railroad, Norfolk Southern, faces intense scrutiny of its safety culture following a series of recent incidents.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that it is investigating Norfolk Southern’s safety practices. The investigation follows two high-profile derailments in Ohio, including the one in East Palestine last month and another over the weekend in Springfield.

A Norfolk Southern conductor was also killed on the job Tuesday in Cleveland.

The NTSB sent teams to investigate all three Ohio incidents. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw is scheduled to testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday.

“We must do better in terms of rail safety,” tweeted Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, the ranking member of the committee.

In February 2015, a CSX train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed in Mount Carbon, resulting in explosions and fires. Hundreds of local residents were evacuated, and one home was destroyed.

The derailment released 362,000 gallons of crude oil, according to a Federal Railroad Administration report.

In 2018, CSX reached a settlement in which it paid $1.2 million to the federal government and $1 million to West Virginia over the derailment’s impact to water quality in the area.

Investigators determined that a broken rail caused the Mount Carbon derailment.

Rail Strike Could Halt Amtrak, Coal Shipments Weeks Before Holiday

If the impasse isn’t resolved by Dec. 5, more than 115,000 railroad employees could walk off the job. The last railroad strike was 30 years ago.

The threat of a railroad strike before Christmas looms once again.

On Monday, the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation-Transportation Division, one of the largest rail unions, rejected a deal negotiated by the Biden administration.

If the impasse isn’t resolved by Dec. 5, more than 115,000 railroad employees could walk off the job. The last railroad strike was 30 years ago.

In West Virginia, a rail strike would cripple coal production. Nearly 70 percent of coal moves by rail, and nearly all of it moves by train to the ports of Baltimore, and Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia.

Amtrak service in West Virginia would come to a halt, including the Capitol Limited and Cardinal routes. MARC commuter service to the Eastern Panhandle would be affected as well.

Railroads move about 40 percent of intercity freight, and there aren’t enough trucks, or truck drivers, to replace the trains and train crews. Finished automobiles, chemicals, animal feed, food products and consumer products would all come to a halt.

Though rail workers are set to get a pay increase, the sticking point is over quality of life issues. Rail management does not want to give workers paid sick leave, and some unions have balked at accepting a contract without it.

W.Va. Amtrak Stations Set To Reopen Friday Following Labor Agreement

Pending the contract’s final approval, rail workers won the right to attend appointments like doctors’ visits and family emergencies without punishment from their employers. Workers will also earn a 24 percent wage increase through 2024.

Rail companies and union leaders reached a tentative agreement Thursday preventing a nationwide strike.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement following the agreement, “Collective bargaining works. The labor movement works. And we know through lifetimes of experience and unbelievable sacrifice, Teamsters across America’s railroads work harder than anyone.”

Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) trains run by the Maryland Department of Transportation faced suspension due to the labor conflict. MARC trains that run from Martinsburg into Washington, D.C. run on tracks owned by CSX Transportation.

Long-haul Amtrak trains across the U.S. were previously suspended in anticipation of the potential strike. These include the Capitol Limited, which stops in Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry, and Cardinal, which stops in the New River Gorge, Charleston and Huntington.

“This tentative agreement will keep our trains moving, stations bustling, and employees proudly serving customers as we move them across this great country,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a statement.

An advisory notice by Amtrak says they are “working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out directly to impacted customers.”

Eastern Panhandle Rail Transit, Amtrak Set For Suspension During Nationwide Strike

The two largest railroad unions in the country, comprising a total of 57,000 workers, are set to go on strike Friday, prompting a nationwide rail shutdown and a logistics crisis. Some transit services, mostly in and around the Eastern Panhandle, could also be affected.

The dispute between the railroad companies and unions is over attendance policies that punish workers from attending important appointments like doctors’ visits or family emergencies.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) MARC trains run on rails owned by CSX Transportation, one of the largest railroad companies in the U.S. CSX’s Brunswick Line, which runs MARC trains from Martinsburg to Washington, D.C., could end up suspending service starting Friday.

Information provided by the MDOT to West Virginia Public Broadcasting says the agency recommends passengers find alternate travel options, with recommendations posted on their website.

Amtrak also announced long-distance commuter routes based around the Washington region would be suspended as of Thursday morning.

This includes the Capitol Limited, which runs from D.C. to Chicago and includes stops in Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry. Amtrak’s Cardinal, which stops in the New River Gorge, Charleston and Huntington, will also be affected.

These are the latest changes announced since other long-distance Amtrak suspensions were made elsewhere in the nation beginning Monday, with some services in the Northeast Corridor, where Amtrak owns the tracks, still set to continue.

Meeting Set with Amtrak Over West Virginia's New River Train

A meeting is set with Amtrak officials to work toward keeping the New River Train service going in southern West Virginia this fall.

Congressman Evan Jenkins and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin say they’ve arranged the meeting on Tuesday. Media outlets report it will be held at Amtrak’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Also scheduled to attend are representatives of the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Society, which operates the New River Train, and leaders from Hinton and Summers County.

Amtrak decided last month to end charter and special service trains, putting traditions such as the New River Train and Hinton Railroad Days in jeopardy. The New River Train is scheduled for late October from Huntington to Hinton.

Manchin says eliminate the service would take about $5 million from West Virginia’s economy.

Amtrak to Add Business-Class Seating to Cardinal Route

Amtrak has announced it will add business-class seating to its Cardinal route.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the new service was announced Monday and will start Jan. 20.

The service will allow travelers to reserve seating in a business-class car. Travelers will also have access to complimentary Wi-Fi, soft drinks, more spacious seating, complimentary access to the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago’s Union Station and an access pass for Philadelphia’s ClubAcela lounge.

Amtrak’s Cardinal route links Charleston to New York, Washington, Cincinnati, Chicago and other cities.

Over the years, Congress has contemplated possible cutbacks for the route. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones says they will not remove Amtrak out of the city.