Misplaced Pages

#905094

110-632: The Ethan Allen Express is a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak in the United States between New York City and Burlington, Vermont , via Albany, New York . One daily round trip is operated on a 310-mile (500 km) north–south route with a 7-hour 35 minute scheduled running time. The train is subsidized by New York and Vermont for the portion north of Albany. It is named for Vermont cofounder and American Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen . Ethan Allen Express service began on December 2, 1996, acting as an extended Empire Service train. It

220-550: A "quasi-public corporation" to take over the operation of intercity passenger trains. Matters were brought to a head on June 21, 1970, when the Penn Central , the largest railroad in the Northeastern United States and teetering on bankruptcy, filed to discontinue 34 of its passenger trains. In October 1970, Congress passed, and President Richard Nixon signed into law (against the objections of most of his advisors),

330-683: A "transitional CEO" who would reorganize Amtrak before turning it over to new leadership. On November 17, 2016, the Gateway Program Development Corporation (GDC) was formed for the purpose of overseeing and effectuating the rail infrastructure improvements known as the Gateway Program. GDC is a partnership of the States of New York and New Jersey and Amtrak. The Gateway Program includes the Hudson Tunnel Project, to build

440-511: A $ 30 million earmark for upgrades to the Rutland–Burlington rail corridor in preparation for a possible Ethan Allen Express extension. Jeffords had long championed passenger rail in western Vermont, which does not have an interstate highway . His original goal was New York–Burlington service via Bennington . The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) applied three times for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds to rebuild

550-512: A 15-minute southbound and 25-minute northbound reduction in travel time between Rutland and Whitehall. The Friday northbound trip operated on the same mid-afternoon schedule from July 10 to September 5, 2017, during track work at New York Penn Station . From May 26 to September 3, 2018, the Ethan Allen Express and other Empire Corridor trains were diverted to Grand Central Terminal during further Penn Station track work. On March 26, 2020,

660-695: A 7:15 am departure. Monday and Saturday southbound departures were moved to 10:45 am in November 2004. The Monday southbound trip was moved back to match the other weekdays in October 2007. In October 2008, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) proposed eliminating the Ethan Allen Express and replacing it with a bus, citing budgetary restrictions. The proposal was rejected by a legislative committee. VTrans again proposed ending service in January 2009. Opposition from

770-521: A day's pay for 100-to-150-mile (160 to 240 km) workdays. Streamliners covered that in two hours. Matters approached a crisis in the 1960s. Passenger service route-miles fell from 107,000 miles (172,000 km) in 1958 to 49,000 miles (79,000 km) in 1970, the last full year of private operation. The diversion of most United States Post Office Department mail from passenger trains to trucks, airplanes, and freight trains in late 1967 deprived those trains of badly needed revenue. In direct response,

880-564: A large overhang of debt from years of underfunding. In the mid-1990s, Amtrak suffered through a serious cash crunch. Under Downs, Congress included a provision in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 that resulted in Amtrak receiving a $ 2.3 billion tax refund that resolved their cash crisis. However, Congress also instituted a "glide path" to financial self-sufficiency, excluding railroad retirement tax act payments. George Warrington became

990-583: A mix of 2x2 coach and 2x1 business class seating. The car closest to the locomotive will have batteries to supply electricity to traction motors in the locomotive when operating in Penn Station and the Empire Connection tunnel, eliminating the need for third rail propulsion. Ridership in Fiscal Year 2021 (which included only three months of service north of Albany) was 12,456. Ridership in Fiscal Year 2019 –

1100-523: A morning Albany–Rutland northbound trip with no New York connection. The morning trip became a New York–Rutland trip on July 9, while the Sunday trip was again moved to later in the afternoon. The morning trip was cut back to an Albany–Rutland shuttle in January 2002 and discontinued entirely that April. In April 2003, the Friday northbound trip was moved later in the evening, while weekday southbound trips were moved to

1210-613: A new tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitate the existing century-old tunnel, and the Portal North Bridge, to replace a century-old moveable bridge with a modern structure that is less prone to failure. Later projects of the Gateway Program, including the expansion of track and platforms at Penn Station New York, construction of the Bergen Loop and other improvements will roughly double capacity for Amtrak and NJ Transit trains in

SECTION 10

#1733086216906

1320-571: A possible 7.8 mi (12.6 km) extension of the Ethan Allen Express from Burlington to Essex Junction via the New England Central Railroad Winooski Branch, where transfer could be made with the Vermonter . The branch would first have to be upgraded to increase its current passenger train speed limit of 15 mph (24 km/h). This would attract between 4,900 and 7,800 additional riders per year by 2040 (assuming

1430-404: A running time slightly over five hours, with afternoon departures from both terminals on weekdays. Saturday southbound trains departed Rutland at 7:05am to allow for weekend trips to New York City, while Sunday trains in both directions departed in the later afternoon to accommodate weekend trips. In October 1997, the southbound Saturday departure moved to the same afternoon time as weekdays, while

1540-467: A second daily train running via North Bennington, Vermont ; an extension to Essex Junction, Vermont , to connect with the Vermonter ; and additional infill stations and higher speeds in Vermont. The Ethan Allen Express operates approximately north–south between New York Penn Station and Burlington, save for an approximately east–west section between Whitehall, New York , and Rutland, Vermont . All of

1650-582: A shuttle service from Albany. An infill station in Fair Haven, Vermont , was added in November 1997; it was replaced with a stop in nearby Castleton in January 2010. Service north of Albany was suspended from March 2020 to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An extension to Burlington, Vermont , with new stations in Middlebury and Vergennes began service on July 29, 2022. Further proposed expansions include

1760-477: A ten-year plan for state transportation. From the recommendations of the board, a new Agency of Transportation was created as the central authority of transportation in Vermont in 1975. The new agency was headed by a seven-member Transportation Board. Changes in leadership structure, divisions, and committees in 1986 established the agency as it currently stands. The agency divides the state into four regions: Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. Each region

1870-411: A tourist train. On August 15, 1996, the state announced it would be called the Ethan Allen Express after Vermont cofounder and American Revolutionary War patriot Ethan Allen . The state agreed to a $ 200,000 annual subsidy, which reflected the cost of extending one Empire Service round trip from Albany to Rutland. Service began with the northbound trip on December 2, 1996, with the first southbound trip

1980-561: A year, its highest number since its founding in 1970. Politico noted a key problem: "the rail system chronically operates in the red. A pattern has emerged: Congress overrides cutbacks demanded by the White House and appropriates enough funds to keep Amtrak from plunging into insolvency. But, Amtrak advocates say, that is not enough to fix the system's woes." Joseph H. Boardman replaced Kummant as president and CEO in late 2008. In 2011, Amtrak announced its intention to improve and expand

2090-585: Is further divided into two maintenance districts. Each maintenance district has a district headquarters. The agency's main headquarters serves an additional district, for a total of nine districts statewide. The agency employs 1,300 people and is divided into three main divisions and an associated department. They are: The Highway Division is primarily responsible for the construction and maintenance of Vermont's road system. Its tasks also include installing and maintaining signals, signs, and culverts, providing grants and support for municipal level projects, maintaining

2200-637: Is managed as a for-profit organization . The company's headquarters is located one block west of Union Station in Washington, D.C. Amtrak is headed by a Board of Directors, two of whom are the Secretary of Transportation and CEO of Amtrak, while the other eight members are nominated to serve a term of five years. Amtrak's network includes over 500 stations along 21,400 miles (34,000 km) of track. It directly owns approximately 623 miles (1,003 km) of this track and operates an additional 132 miles of track;

2310-596: Is owned by New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Connecticut Department of Transportation as the New Haven Line .) This mainline became Amtrak's "jewel" asset, and helped the railroad generate revenue. While the NEC ridership and revenues were higher than any other segment of the system, the cost of operating and maintaining the corridor proved to be overwhelming. As a result, Amtrak's federal subsidy

SECTION 20

#1733086216906

2420-575: Is powered by overhead lines ; for the rest of the system, diesel-fueled locomotives are used. Routes vary widely in the frequency of service, from three-days-a-week trains on the Sunset Limited to several times per hour on the Northeast Corridor. For areas not served by trains, Amtrak Thruway routes provide guaranteed connections to trains via buses, vans, ferries and other modes. The most popular and heavily used services are those running on

2530-428: Is the largest host to Amtrak routes, with 6.3 million train-miles. Freight rail operators are required under federal law to give dispatching preference to Amtrak trains. However, Amtrak has accused freight railroads of violating or skirting these regulations, resulting in passenger trains waiting for freight traffic to clear the track. Vermont Agency of Transportation The federal government has provided most of

2640-400: Is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces . Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and track. Founded in 1971 as a quasi-public corporation to operate many U.S. passenger rail routes, Amtrak receives a combination of state and federal subsidies but

2750-734: The California Zephyr between Oakland and Chicago via Denver and revived the Auto Train , a unique service that carries both passengers and their vehicles. Amtrak advertised it as a great way to avoid traffic along the I-95 running between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Florida (near Orlando) on the Silver Star alignment. In 1980s and 1990s, stations in Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. received major rehabilitation and

2860-442: The 10 largest metropolitan areas and 83% of passengers travel on routes shorter than 400 miles (645 km). In 1916, 98% of all commercial intercity travelers in the United States moved by rail, and the remaining 2% moved by inland waterways . Nearly 42 million passengers used railways as primary transportation. Passenger trains were owned and operated by the same privately owned companies that operated freight trains. As

2970-472: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway filed to discontinue 33 of its remaining 39 trains, ending almost all passenger service on one of the largest railroads in the country. The equipment the railroads had ordered after World War II was now 20 years old, worn out, and in need of replacement. As passenger service declined, various proposals were brought forward to rescue it. The 1961 Doyle Report proposed that

3080-954: The COVID-19 pandemic , Amtrak continued operating as an essential service. It started requiring face coverings the week of May 17, and limited sales to 50% of capacity. Most long-distance routes were reduced to three weekly round trips in October 2020. In March 2021, following President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan announcement, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn outlined a proposal called Amtrak Connects US that would expand state-supported intercity corridors with an infusion of upfront capital assistance. This would expand service to cities including Las Vegas , Phoenix , Baton Rouge , Nashville , Chattanooga , Louisville , Columbus (Ohio) , Wilmington (North Carolina) , Cheyenne , Montgomery , Concord , and Scranton . Also in March 2021, Amtrak announced plans to return 12 of its long-distance routes to daily schedules later in

3190-598: The Ethan Allen Express after Amtrak ranked VRS as the worst host railroad in the country. On-time performance of the train was below 70% by that time, with track conditions responsible for 91% of delays. Vermont Rail Systems began track work in April 2011, which reduced travel times by 10 minutes by that October. The project, funded by both the railroad and the state of New York at a cost of $ 3.25 million, involved rebuilding about 8 miles (13 km) of track and eight grade crossings. By February 2012, additional trackwork had resulted in

3300-526: The Ethan Allen Express in the 2021 Vermont Rail Plan. These included potential infill flag stops in Brandon and Shelburne . Positive train control and track upgrades would allow the Ethan Allen Express to reach speeds of 79 mph (127 km/h), up from 59 mph (95 km/h), on sections between Whitehall and Burlington. This would save about 15 minutes per trip, with an estimated increase of 1,400 to 2,600 annual riders by 2040. VTrans also analyzed

3410-423: The Ethan Allen Express was suspended north of Albany–Rensselaer at the request of Vermont Governor Phil Scott due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Service to Rutland resumed on July 19, 2021, with $ 1 promotional fares on that date for travel within Vermont. Even before service began, state planners intended to later extend the Ethan Allen Express from Rutland to Burlington . In 2005, Senator Jim Jeffords obtained

Ethan Allen Express - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-789: The Federal Railroad Administration accepted an application by VTrans to enter the New York–Albany–Mechanicville–Bennington–Rutland–Burlington route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program . The program grants $ 500,000 toward service planning and prioritizes the route for future federal funding. The application referred to the route as the Green Mountain Corridor. Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation , doing business as Amtrak ( / ˈ æ m t r æ k / ; reporting marks AMTK , AMTZ ),

3630-640: The Highway Trust Fund and Aviation Trust Fund paid for by user fees, highway fuel and road taxes, and, in the case of the General Fund, from general taxation. Gunn dropped most freight express business and worked to eliminate deferred maintenance. A plan by the Bush administration "to privatize parts of the national passenger rail system and spin off other parts to partial state ownership" provoked disagreement within Amtrak's board of directors. Late in 2005, Gunn

3740-504: The Maple Leaf . The afternoon northbound train continued to run Monday–Thursday; the Saturday northbound shifted to that time, while the Sunday afternoon northbound was canceled. The Friday northbound trip became an express operating nonstop between New York and Schenectady, with a 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 hour schedule – the fastest time ever scheduled for the Ethan Allen Express . A baggage car

3850-463: The Montrealer would be discontinued due to budget cuts. While state officials worked to retain that service, adding a route to Rutland (and possibly Burlington) was also supported by Dean. In April 1995, the Montrealer was cut back to St. Albans as the state-subsidized Vermonter on a daytime schedule. Later than month, $ 3.5 million was included in a federal funding bill. Along with $ 1 million from

3960-613: The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. A large part of the legislation was directed to the creation of Conrail , but the law also enabled the transfer of the portions of the NEC not already owned by state authorities to Amtrak. Amtrak acquired the majority of the NEC on April 1, 1976. (The portion in Massachusetts is owned by the Commonwealth and managed by Amtrak. The route from New Haven to New Rochelle

4070-960: The Vermonter is extended to Montreal ). In 2014, VTrans and the New York State Department of Transportation studied the potential serving southwestern Vermont either with a second daily train or rerouting the Ethan Allen Express . The proposed alternative was to extend an Empire Service train to Rutland, operating on a more southern route than the Ethan Allen Express between Glenville, New York and Rutland. It would use existing Canadian Pacific Railway (now Canadian Pacific Kansas City), Pan Am Railways (now CSX Transportation), and Vermont Railway freight lines, with new intermediate stops at Mechanicville, New York , North Bennington, Vermont , and Manchester, Vermont . The 2021 Vermont Rail Plan indicated that should it be implemented, this second service would also extend to Burlington. In December 2023,

4180-552: The 20th century progressed, patronage declined in the face of competition from buses , air travel , and the car . New streamlined diesel-powered trains such as the Pioneer Zephyr were popular with the traveling public but could not reverse the trend. By 1940, railroads held 67 percent of commercial passenger-miles in the United States. In real terms, passenger-miles had fallen by 40% since 1916, from 42 billion to 25 billion. Traffic surged during World War II , which

4290-598: The Amtrak system. A trailer was used as a temporary station at Rutland; the station building, funded by $ 700,000 from the federal government, did not open until 1999. The Ethan Allen Express was intended to support tourism in the Rutland areas, particularly winter travel to Killington Ski Resort and Pico Mountain . The train's schedule has been adjusted a number of times, particularly in the early years of its operation, in an attempt to serve both tourists to Vermont and Vermonters traveling to New York City. The initial schedule had

4400-599: The California corridor trains accounted for a combined 2.35 million passengers in fiscal year 2021. Other popular routes include the Empire Service between New York City and Niagara Falls , via Albany and Buffalo , which carried 613.2 thousand passengers in fiscal year 2021, and the Keystone Service between New York City and Harrisburg via Philadelphia that carried 394.3 thousand passengers that same year. Four of

4510-448: The DOT's analysis was far too optimistic, with director George Shultz arguing to cut the number of routes by around half. Nixon agreed with Shultz, and the public draft presented by Volpe on November 30 consisted of only 16 routes. The initial reaction to this heavily-cut-back proposed system from the public, the press, and congressmen was strongly negative. It made front-page headlines across

Ethan Allen Express - Misplaced Pages Continue

4620-437: The Empire Connection tunnel and on diesel power for the rest of the route. In the late 2020s and early 2030s, all equipment will be replaced with Amtrak Airo trainsets, the railroad's branding of its combination of Siemens Venture passenger cars and a Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotive. The trainsets for the Ethan Allen Express will have six passenger cars, which will include a cab control car food service area and

4730-399: The Empire Connection tunnel opened in 1991, allowing Amtrak to consolidate all New York services at Penn Station. Despite the improvements, Amtrak's ridership stagnated at roughly 20 million passengers per year, amid uncertain government aid from 1981 to about 2000. In the early 1990s, Amtrak tested several different high-speed trains from Europe on the Northeast Corridor. An X 2000 train

4840-618: The Freight Subdivision, 60 mph (97 km/h) on the Canadian Subdivision, and 59 mph (95 km/h) on the Vermont Railway. Ethan Allen Express trains typically have five Amfleet passenger cars: four coaches plus a club car with 2x1 business class seating and a cafe area. Trains operate with two GE P32AC-DM dual-mode locomotives, one at each end, which operate on third rail electric power in Penn Station and

4950-426: The Friday and Sunday northbound departures moved to the late-afternoon time. An infill station at Fair Haven was added on November 12, 1997. On February 15, 1998, Amtrak added a morning northbound train from Albany to Rutland, providing a connection from the northbound Maple Leaf ; this gave a second northbound trip to Rutland, though still only one southbound trip. The change reduced the state subsidy by eliminating

5060-461: The Highway Division for construction, maintenance, and municipal support, $ 15.5 million for Finance & Administration, and $ 89.2 million for Policy, Planning, and Intermodal Development. VTrans applies a salt brine to roads to melt snow and ice. The brine has been suggested as a factor in increased corrosion of vehicles. The agency states that there is no evidence to prove this. Nevertheless,

5170-478: The NEC and rises in automobile fuel costs. The inauguration of the high-speed Acela in late 2000 generated considerable publicity and led to major ridership gains. However, through the late 1990s and very early 21st century, Amtrak could not add sufficient express freight revenue or cut sufficient other expenditures to break even. By 2002, it was clear that Amtrak could not achieve self-sufficiency, but Congress continued to authorize funding and released Amtrak from

5280-630: The NEC, including the Acela and Northeast Regional . The NEC runs between Boston and Washington, D.C. via New York City and Philadelphia. Some services continue into Virginia . The NEC services accounted for 4.4 million of Amtrak's 12.2 million passengers in fiscal year 2021. Outside the NEC the most popular services are the short-haul corridors in California, the Pacific Surfliner , Capitol Corridor , and San Joaquins , which are supplemented by an extensive network of connecting buses. Together

5390-982: The NRPC as a politically expedient way for the President and Congress to give passenger trains a "last hurrah" as demanded by the public. They expected the NRPC to quietly disappear as public interest waned. After Fortune magazine exposed the manufactured mismanagement in 1974, Louis W. Menk , chairman of the Burlington Northern Railroad , remarked that the story was undermining the scheme to dismantle Amtrak. Proponents also hoped that government intervention would be brief and that Amtrak would soon be able to support itself. Neither view had proved to be correct; popular support allowed Amtrak to continue in operation longer than critics imagined, while financial results made passenger train service returning to private railroad operations infeasible. The Rail Passenger Service Act gave

5500-421: The NRPC had hired Lippincott & Margulies to create a brand for it and replace its original working brand name of Railpax. On March 30, L&M's work was presented to the NRPC's board of incorporators, who unanimously agreed on the "headless arrow" logo and on the new brand name "Amtrak", a portmanteau of the words America and trak , the latter itself a sensational spelling of track . The name change

5610-581: The Navy and retired Southern Railway head William Graham Claytor Jr. came out of retirement to lead Amtrak. During his time at Southern, Claytor was a vocal critic of Amtrak's prior managers, who all came from non-railroading backgrounds. Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis cited this criticism as a reason why the Democrat Claytor was acceptable to the Reagan White House. Despite frequent clashes with

SECTION 50

#1733086216906

5720-582: The New York City–Montreal Green Mountain Flyer and Mount Royal , until 1953. After the Rutland filed to abandoned its entire system in 1963, the state-owned Vermont Railway took over freight service on most of the lines in 1964. The Central Vermont Railway continued to operate the Montrealer , providing passenger service to the eastern and northern parts of the state, until 1966. Amtrak took over intercity passenger service in

5830-670: The Northeast Corridor, some of which connect to it or are extensions from it. In addition to its inter-city services, Amtrak also operates commuter services under contract for three public agencies: the MARC Penn Line in Maryland, Shore Line East in Connecticut, and Metrolink in Southern California. Service on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), between Boston , and Washington, D.C. , as well as between Philadelphia and Harrisburg ,

5940-557: The Northeast Corridor, state-supported short-haul service outside the Northeast Corridor, and medium- and long-haul service known within Amtrak as the National Network. Amtrak receives federal funding for the vast majority of its operations including the central spine of the Northeast Corridor as well as for its National Network routes. In addition to the federally funded routes, Amtrak partners with transportation agencies in 18 states to operate other short and medium-haul routes outside of

6050-406: The November 30th draft. These required routes only had their endpoints specified; the selection of the actual routes to be taken between the endpoints was left to the NRPC, which had just three months to decide them before it was due to start service. Consultants from McKinsey & Company were hired to perform this task, and their results were publicly announced on March 22. At the same time,

6160-687: The Rail Passenger Service Act. Proponents of the bill, led by the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), sought government funding to ensure the continuation of passenger trains. They conceived the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC), a quasi-public corporation that would be managed as a for-profit organization , but which would receive taxpayer funding and assume operation of intercity passenger trains – while many involved in drafting

6270-522: The Reagan administration over funding, Claytor enjoyed a good relationship with Lewis, John H. Riley , the head of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and with members of Congress. Limited funding led Claytor to use short-term debt to fund operations. Building on mechanical developments in the 1970s, high-speed Washington–New York Metroliner Service was improved with new equipment and faster schedules. Travel time between New York and Washington, D.C.

6380-453: The Secretary of Transportation, at that time John A. Volpe , thirty days to produce an initial draft of the endpoints of the routes the NRPC would be required by law to serve for four years. On November 24 Volpe presented his initial draft consisting of 27 routes to Nixon, which he believed would make a $ 24 million profit by 1975. The Office of Management and Budget , however, believed Volpe and

6490-487: The United States in 1971 and resumed the overnight Montrealer in 1972. Politicians including Curtis McCormack unsuccessfully attempted to obtain funding for Amtrak service to Rutland in the 1980s. Then-governor Howard Dean created the Vermont Rail Council headed by McCormack in 1991, with instruction to study Rutland service, but most attention was focused on the Montrealer . In late 1994, Amtrak announced that

6600-556: The Vermont Rail Action Network and local political leaders resulted in the service being kept. On January 2, 2010, the Ethan Allen Express began stopping at Castleton. Service to Fair Haven ended on January 9. Beginning in the mid-2000s, poor track conditions between Whitehall and Rutland also affected the train's performance. In February 2011, VTrans began an investigation into the Vermont Rail System's handling of

6710-631: The Vermont Railway and $ 743,000 from the state, this funded $ 5.24 million in trackwork, which upgraded 21 miles (34 km) of the Whitehall Branch from 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) to 59 miles per hour (95 km/h) maximum speed. The state originally planned to call the new service the Green Mountain Flyer after the former Rutland Railroad train. However, the Green Mountain Railroad objected, as they already used that name for

SECTION 60

#1733086216906

6820-471: The Vermont Railway operated the Ethan Allen Connection between Rutland and Burlington with an intermediate stop at Middlebury . It was discontinued due to low ridership; most passengers only rode between Rutland and Burlington, with just 20–25% connecting to the Ethan Allen Express . On October 31, northbound service was reconfigured. A daily train departed New York at 6:15 am – an hour earlier than

6930-526: The administrative functions of the agency. Its tasks include negotiating contracts, information technology support, budget and accounting, auditing, compliance with labor laws, and hiring. Although not considered a division of the agency, the Vermont DMV is associated with it. The agency assists with the enforcement of DMV policy. The main headquarters are in Montpelier and there are ten other offices throughout

7040-503: The agency's fleet of vehicles, providing safety training, and informing the public of road conditions. The PPID oversees other means of transportation in the state. Railways, airports, and public transportation are under its supervision. It is also responsible for creating future plans and prioritizing projects. It collaborates with other councils and the general public. The Vermont operations of Amtrak 's Ethan Allen Express and Vermonter receive financial support. This Division performs

7150-455: The bill did not believe the NRPC would actually be profitable, this was necessary in order for the White House and more conservative members of Congress to support the bill. There were several key provisions: Of the 26 railroads still offering intercity passenger service in 1970, only six declined to join the NRPC. Nearly everyone involved expected the experiment to be short-lived. The Nixon administration and many Washington insiders viewed

7260-433: The busiest, most complex section of the Northeast Corridor. In June 2017, it was announced that former Delta and Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson would become Amtrak's next President & CEO. Anderson began the job on July 12, assuming the title of President immediately and serving alongside Moorman as "co-CEOs" until the end of the year. On April 15, 2020, Atlas Air Chairman, President and CEO William Flynn

7370-581: The construction of stations at Middlebury and Ferrisburgh–Vergennes , a new platform at Burlington Union Station , adding crossovers and passing sidings, improving grade crossings, and rebuilding a wye at Rutland. The former New Haven Junction station building was relocated, as it was too close to the tracks. A separately-funded project constructed a rail tunnel in downtown Middlebury to replace aging bridges and increase clearances for freight use. VTrans originally planned for trains to lay over overnight at Union Station, but nearby residents objected to having

7480-434: The corridor to make it suitable for higher-speed electric trains. The Northend Electrification Project extended existing electrification from New Haven, Connecticut , to Boston to complete the overhead power supply along the 454-mile (731 km) route, and several grade crossings were improved or removed. Ridership increased during the first decade of the 21st century after the implementation of capital improvements in

7590-477: The country and it was quickly leaked that the DOT had wanted a far larger system than the White House would approve of. The ICC produced its own report on December 29, criticising the proposed draft and arguing for the inclusion of fifteen additional routes, giving further ammunition to the congressmen who wanted an expanded system. Further wrangling between the DOT and the White House produced the final list of routes on January 28, 1971, adding five additional routes to

7700-400: The early afternoon; southbound trips depart in the late morning. The train operates over the following trackage: The Ethan Allen Express operates as higher-speed rail on the Hudson Subdivision, with speeds up to 110 mph (180 km/h). Maximum speeds are 80 mph (130 km/h) on the Hudson Line, 60 mph (97 km/h) on the Empire Connection, 50 mph (80 km/h) on

7810-480: The ex- New York Central Railroad 's Water Level Route from New York to Ohio and Grand Trunk Western Railroad 's Chicago to Detroit route. The reduced passenger train schedules created confusion amongst staff. At some stations, Amtrak service was available only late at night or early in the morning, prompting complaints from passengers. Disputes with freight railroads over track usage caused some services to be rerouted, temporarily cancelled, or replaced with buses. On

7920-509: The following day. The Ethan Allen Express began with stops in Rutland , Fort Edward , Saratoga Springs , Schenectady , Albany–Rensselaer , Hudson , Rhinecliff , Poughkeepsie , Croton , Yonkers and New York City. Because the Adirondack already served the section between New York City and Whitehall, the Ethan Allen Express only added 44 route miles (71 km) and one station (Rutland) to

8030-611: The high-speed rail corridor from Penn Station in NYC, under the Hudson River in new tunnels, and double-tracking the line to Newark, NJ , called the Gateway Program , initially estimated to cost $ 13.5 billion (equal to $ 18 billion in 2023). From May 2011 to May 2012, Amtrak celebrated its 40th anniversary with festivities across the country that started on National Train Day (May 7, 2011). A commemorative book entitled Amtrak: An American Story

8140-690: The job, he is the second-longest serving head of Amtrak since it was formed more than 40 years ago. On December 9, 2015, Boardman announced in a letter to employees that he would be leaving Amtrak in September 2016. He had advised the Amtrak Board of Directors of his decision the previous week. On August 19, 2016, the Amtrak Board of Directors named former Norfolk Southern Railway President & CEO Charles "Wick" Moorman as Boardman's successor with an effective date of September 1, 2016. During his term, Moorman took no salary and said that he saw his role as one of

8250-477: The last full pre-pandemic fiscal year of operations – was 50,515. The train is subsidized by New York and Vermont for the portion north of Albany, in proportion to mileage on that section in each state. In FY 2019, the Vermont portion of the subsidy (44%) was $ 1.57 million, while the New York portion was about $ 2 million. The Vermont Agency of Transportation subsidizes discounted fares for most intra-Vermont travel on

8360-535: The locomotive idle there. In March 2020, VTrans indicated that the Vermont Railway yard to the south would instead be modified to accommodate the train. The two new stations and the new Burlington platform were built in 2020–2022. In October 2021, Amtrak and Vermont Rail System began running qualification trips between Rutland and Burlington to familiarize train crews with the new route. Revenue service to Burlington began on July 29, 2022, with trains departing early afternoon northbound and late morning southbound all days. It

8470-444: The money to construct federal (Class I) highways but the state has the responsibility to maintain them. The state, in turn, builds state (Class II) roads and it is up to the local towns and municipalities to maintain them. The Vermont State Highway Commission was established in 1892. A six-year study by the commission led to the establishment of state funding for the construction of new roads in 1898. A new State Highway Board

8580-451: The need for overnight crew accommodations: the morning northbound trip turned around to become the afternoon southbound trip, while the afternoon northbound trip deadheaded from Rutland to Albany in the late evening for servicing. In October 1998, the Sunday southbound departure was shifted two hours later to allow more time for skiers, while the Saturday southbound departure was moved up to match weekdays. From August 16 to October 31, 1999,

8690-607: The other hand, the creation of the Los Angeles–Seattle Coast Starlight from three formerly separate train routes was an immediate success, resulting in an increase to daily service by 1973. Needing to operate only half the train routes that had operated previously, Amtrak would lease around 1,200 of the best passenger cars from the 3,000 that the private railroads owned. All were air-conditioned, and 90% were easy-to-maintain stainless steel. When Amtrak took over, passenger cars and locomotives initially retained

8800-471: The overall market share fell to 46% by 1950, and then 32% by 1957. The railroads had lost money on passenger service since the Great Depression , but deficits reached $ 723 million in 1957. For many railroads, these losses threatened financial viability. The causes of this decline were heavily debated. The National Highway System and airports , both funded by the government, competed directly with

8910-433: The paint schemes and logos of their former owners which resulted in Amtrak running trains with mismatched colors – the "Rainbow Era". In mid-1971, Amtrak began purchasing some of the equipment it had leased, including 286 EMD E and F unit diesel locomotives, 30 GG1 electric locomotives and 1,290 passenger cars. By 1975, the official Amtrak color scheme was painted on most Amtrak equipment and newly purchased locomotives and

9020-660: The private railroads pool their services into a single body. Similar proposals were made in 1965 and 1968 but failed to attract support. The federal government passed the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 to fund pilot programs in the Northeast Corridor , but this did nothing to address passenger deficits. In late 1969, multiple proposals emerged in the United States Congress , including equipment subsidies, route subsidies, and, lastly,

9130-407: The railroads, which, unlike the airline, bus, and trucking companies, paid for their own infrastructure. American car culture was also on the rise in the post-World War II years. Progressive Era rate regulation limited the railroad's ability to turn a profit. Railroads also faced antiquated work rules and inflexible relationships with trade unions. To take one example, workers continued to receive

9240-594: The remaining mileage is over rail lines owned by other railroad companies. While most track speeds are limited to 79 mph (127 km/h) or less, several lines have been upgraded to support top speeds of 110 mph (180 km/h), and parts of the Northeast Corridor support top speeds of 160 mph (260 km/h). In fiscal year 2022, Amtrak served 22.9 million passengers and had $ 2.1 billion in revenue, with more than 17,100 employees as of fiscal year 2021. Nearly 87,000 passengers ride more than 300 Amtrak trains daily. Nearly two-thirds of passengers come from

9350-443: The requirement. In early 2002, David L. Gunn replaced Warrington as seventh president. In a departure from his predecessors' promises to make Amtrak self-sufficient in the short term, Gunn argued that no form of passenger transportation in the United States is self-sufficient as the economy is currently structured. Highways, airports, and air traffic control all require large government expenditures to build and operate, coming from

9460-532: The rolling stock began appearing. Amtrak inherited problems with train stations (most notably deferred maintenance ) and redundant facilities from the competing railroads that once served the same communities. Chicago is a prime example; on the day prior to Amtrak's inception, intercity passenger trains used four different Chicago terminals: LaSalle , Dearborn , North Western Station , Central , and Union. The trains at LaSalle remained there, as their operator Rock Island could not afford to opt into Amtrak. Of all

9570-450: The route south of Whitehall is also used by the Adirondack . The stretch between Schenectady and New York City is also used by Empire Service , Lake Shore Limited , and Maple Leaf trains; the Ethan Allen Express acts as an additional Empire Service trip on this portion. The train is scheduled for 7 hours 35 minutes between New York City and Burlington. Northbound trips depart in

9680-432: The route. The route is supplemented by two daily bus round trips operated by Vermont Translines between Albany and Burlington which act as Amtrak Thruway connections to Empire Corridor trains at Albany–Rensselaer. These bus routes also provide Amtrak connections for several Vermont towns presently without direct Amtrak service, such as Bennington and Manchester . Prior passenger service between Rutland and points south

9790-406: The schedule. Amtrak uses a sliding scale, with trips under 250 miles (400 km) considered late if they are more than 10 minutes behind schedule, up to 30 minutes for trips over 551 miles (887 km) in length. Outside the Northeast Corridor and stretches of track in Southern California and Michigan, most Amtrak trains run on tracks owned and operated by privately owned freight railroads. BNSF

9900-508: The six busiest stations by boardings are on the NEC: New York Penn Station (first), Washington Union Station (second), Philadelphia 30th Street Station (third), and Boston South Station (fifth). The other two are Chicago Union Station (fourth) and Los Angeles Union Station (sixth). On-time performance is calculated differently for airlines than for Amtrak. A plane is considered on-time if it arrives within 15 minutes of

10010-498: The sixth president in 1998, with a mandate to make Amtrak financially self-sufficient. Under Warrington, the company tried to expand into express freight shipping, placing Amtrak in competition with the "host" freight railroads and the trucking industry . On March 9, 1999, Amtrak unveiled its plan for the Acela Express, a high-speed train on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston. Several changes were made to

10120-754: The spring. Most of these routes were restored to daily service in late-May 2021. However, a resurgence of the virus caused by the Omicron variant caused Amtrak to modify and/or suspend many of these routes again from January to March 2022. Amtrak is required by law to operate a national route system. Amtrak has presence in 46 of the 48 contiguous states, as well as the District of Columbia (with only thruway connecting services in Wyoming and no services in South Dakota ). Amtrak services fall into three groups: short-haul service on

10230-456: The state. In the 2020 fiscal year , the agency's total budget is $ 615.8 million. It includes $ 258 million from state transportation funding, $ 320 million in federal funding, $ 13.3 million from TIB Funds, and $ 24.5 million from other sources such as internal services and interdepartmental transfers. This has been appropriated as $ 33.2 million for the Department of Motor Vehicles, $ 447.7 million to

10340-431: The system with an aim to reduce costs, speed construction, and improve its corporate image. However, the cash-strapped railroad would ultimately build relatively few of these standard stations. Amtrak soon had the opportunity to acquire rights-of-way. Following the bankruptcy of several northeastern railroads in the early 1970s, including Penn Central, which owned and operated the Northeast Corridor (NEC), Congress passed

10450-613: The tracks between Rutland and Burlington; none of the applications were successful. The state received $ 9 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds for the project in 2013, and an additional $ 10 million in 2015. This completed funding for the $ 26 million project, which included rebuilding 20 miles (32 km) of track to allow speeds of 40 mph (64 km/h) for freight and 60 mph (97 km/h) for passenger trains between Rutland and Burlington. Other work included

10560-626: The trains serving Dearborn Station, Amtrak retained only a pair of Santa Fe trains, which relocated to Union Station beginning with the first Amtrak departures on May 1, 1971. Dearborn Station closed after the last pre-Amtrak trains on the Santa Fe arrived in Chicago on May 2. None of the intercity trains that had served North Western Station became part of the Amtrak system, and that terminal became commuter-only after May 1. The trains serving Central Station continued to use that station until an alternate routing

10670-465: Was added to the train for bikes and ski equipment in late 1998, but it could not be used for luggage until February 2000 when an attendant was hired for Rutland station. The baggage car was removed in 2002 due to low usage, elimination of station agents due to state budget cuts, and the older baggage cars not being certified for as high speeds as the rest of the train. The schedule was simplified on April 29, 2001: daily afternoon trips in both direction, plus

10780-459: Was adopted in March 1972. In New York City , Amtrak had to maintain two stations ( Penn and Grand Central ) due to the lack of track connections to bring trains from upstate New York into Penn Station; a problem that was rectified once the Empire Connection was built in 1991. The Amtrak Standard Stations Program was launched in 1978 and proposed to build a standardized station design across

10890-414: Was aided by troop movement and gasoline rationing . The railroad's market share surged to 74% in 1945, with a massive 94 billion passenger-miles. After the war, railroads rejuvenated their overworked and neglected passenger fleets with fast and luxurious streamliners. These new trains brought only temporary relief to the overall decline. Even as postwar travel exploded, passenger travel percentages of

11000-614: Was created in 1921 consisting of the governor and two appointed officials. Two years later, the board created the Department of Highways. In 1960, several organizations including the Commissioner of Highways, the State Highway Board, and the Board of Public Works were merged into the Department of Highways. In 1973, a Transportation Advisory Board was established and tasked with assessing all existing transportation organizations and developing

11110-609: Was fired. Gunn's replacement, Alexander Kummant (2006–08), was committed to operating a national rail network, and like Gunn, opposed the notion of putting the Northeast Corridor under separate ownership. He said that shedding the system's long-distance routes would amount to selling national assets that are on par with national parks, and that Amtrak's abandonment of these routes would be irreversible. In late 2006, Amtrak unsuccessfully sought annual congressional funding of $ 1 billion for ten years. In early 2007, Amtrak employed 20,000 people in 46 states and served 25 million passengers

11220-803: Was increased dramatically. In subsequent years, other short route segments not needed for freight operations were transferred to Amtrak. In its first decade, Amtrak fell far short of financial independence, which continues today, but it did find modest success rebuilding trade. Outside factors discouraged competing transport, such as fuel shortages which increased costs of automobile and airline travel, and strikes which disrupted airline operations. Investments in Amtrak's track, equipment and information also made Amtrak more relevant to America's transportation needs. Amtrak's ridership increased from 16.6 million in 1972 to 21 million in 1981. In February 1978, Amtrak moved its headquarters to 400 North Capitol Street NW, Washington D.C. In 1982, former Secretary of

11330-635: Was leased from Sweden for test runs from October 1992 to January 1993, followed by revenue service between Washington, D.C. and New York City from February to May and August to September 1993. Siemens showed the ICE 1 train from Germany, organizing the ICE Train North America Tour which started to operate on the Northeast Corridor on July 3, 1993. In 1993, Thomas Downs succeeded Claytor as Amtrak's fifth president. The stated goal remained "operational self-sufficiency". By this time, however, Amtrak had

11440-544: Was named Amtrak President and CEO. In addition to Atlas Air, Flynn has held senior roles at CSX Transportation , SeaLand Services and GeoLogistics Corp. Anderson would remain with Amtrak as a senior advisor until December 2020. As Amtrak approached profitability in 2020, the company undertook planning to expand and create new intermediate-distance corridors across the country. Included were several new services in Ohio, Tennessee, Colorado, and Minnesota, among other states. During

11550-609: Was operated by the Delaware and Hudson Railroad over the Whitehall Branch (Rutland– Whitehall ) and Washington Branch ( Castleton – Eagle Bridge ) and by the Rutland Railroad over its mainline ( Bellows Falls –Rutland– Burlington ) and Chatham Branch (Rutland– Chatham ). Washington Branch and Whitehall Branch passenger service ended on June 24, 1934. The Rutland Railroad continued to operate passenger service to Rutland, including

11660-445: Was publicly announced less than two weeks before operations began. Amtrak began operations on May 1, 1971. Amtrak received no rail tracks or rights-of-way at its inception. All of Amtrak's routes were continuations of prior service, although Amtrak pruned about half the passenger rail network. Of the 366 train routes that operated previously, Amtrak continued only 184. Several major corridors became freight-only, including

11770-499: Was published, a documentary was created, six locomotives were painted in Amtrak's four prior paint schemes , and an Exhibit Train toured the country visiting 45 communities and welcoming more than 85,000 visitors. After years of almost revolving-door CEOs at Amtrak, in December 2013, Boardman was named "Railroader of the Year" by Railway Age magazine, which noted that with over five years in

11880-462: Was reduced to under 3 hours due to system improvements and limited stop service. This improvement was cited as a reason why Amtrak grew its share of intercity trips between the cities along the corridor. Elsewhere in the country, demand for passenger rail service resulted in the creation of five new state-supported routes in California, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon and Pennsylvania, for a total of 15 state-supported routes. Amtrak added two trains in 1983,

11990-614: Was the first direct passenger rail service to Burlington in 69 years. The first day of service was marred by a temporary suspension of all Amtrak service west of Albany caused by a deteriorating trackside structure, the Central Warehouse , in North Albany. Passengers were bussed between Saratoga Springs and Albany–Rensselaer . The extension caused an immediate increase in ridership, with August 2022 ridership about 50% higher than August 2019. VTrans listed several possible improvements to

12100-417: Was the first passenger service to Rutland since 1953 and the first to use the line between Rutland and Whitehall since 1934. The train's schedule has been adjusted a number of times, particularly in the early years of its operation, in an attempt to serve both tourists to Vermont and Vermonters traveling to New York City. From February 1998 to April 2002, a second northbound trip was operated – at some times only

#905094