Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Amtrak

Amtrak to Begin Welcoming Bikes on Long-Distance Routes

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 24, 2014 | No Comments

The nation’s intercity passenger rail service just got a lot bike-friendlier. Amtrak announced last week that it is installing new baggage cars — equipped for bike storage — in all trains on its long-distance routes by year’s end. The change will allow Amtrak riders to “roll on” their bikes, rather than disassembling them and transporting them […]

Amtrak’s Boarding Procedure Brings the Stress of Airports to Trains

By Steven Vance | Dec 2, 2013 | 59 Comments

While intercity and long-distance train travel is on the rise in the United States, Amtrak could still do a lot more to improve the customer experience and boost ridership further. I’m new to using Amtrak, having only ridden it three times in my life, but I have experience riding European intercity and cross-continent trains. Last […]

Smaller Cities Propel Amtrak Ridership to a New High

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 15, 2013 | No Comments

It’s been another year of ridership growth for Amtrak, despite the difficulties caused by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast. In fiscal year 2013, the nation’s intercity rail service saw its 10th ridership increase in 11 years, carrying a record 31.6 million passengers [PDF]. The Northeast Corridor still accounts for a huge share of Amtrak’s total […]

Union Station Contest Will Add Pizzazz to an Underused Public Space

By John Greenfield | Jun 20, 2013 | 11 Comments

Chicago’s Union Station is a key national transportation hub and one of our city’s iconic structures, but in some ways it’s sadly underutilized. The Metropolitan Planning Council, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable transportation and development in the region, wants to change that. Their fifth annual placemaking contest, Activate Union Station, challenges Chicagoans to come up […]

Amtrak’s Bike-on-Train Success Should Inspire South Shore Line

By Steven Vance | Jun 6, 2013 | 9 Comments

Amtrak riders tested new bike racks in the snack car of a train to Michigan last month, as the railroad prepares to launch roll-on service for trains to Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. Derrick James, the director of government affairs for the central region of Amtrak, sent these photos of the event. This single-level Amtrak […]