Dallas

Amtrak Suspends Texas Eagle Service Ahead of Looming Freight Railroad Strike

Amtrak has warned a possible strike on the freight railroads could affect its service as well

Michael Hibblen/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Amtrak announced that service on the Texas Eagle would be suspended starting Wednesday, as it prepares for a freight railroad strike that could impact its trains.

Amtrak canceled all long-distance trains nationwide starting Thursday, as it prepares for a possible freight-rail strike that would impact its service.

A member of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, tweeted about the shutdown after widespread media reports. Amtrak later confirmed it via statement.

Amtrak said it will only operate trains long enough this week to ensure they get to their final destinations by 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16.

The Texas Eagle travels between Chicago and San Antonio — it winds through Illinois, across the Mississippi River through the Ozarks and piney woods of East Texas before traveling through Dallas and Austin.

Connecting service between San Antonio and Los Angeles is available through the Sunset Limited which also suspended service Wednesday.

Here is the statement Amtrak released Wednesday:

Amtrak is closely monitoring the ongoing freight rail – rail labor contract negotiations. The negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce. While we are hopeful that parties will reach a resolution, Amtrak has now begun phased adjustments to our service in preparation for a possible freight rail service interruption later this week. Such an interruption could significantly impact intercity passenger rail service, as Amtrak operates almost all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on track owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads. These initial adjustments include canceling all Long Distance trains and could be followed by impacts to most State-Supported routes. These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached.

Suspended services starting Tuesday, Sept. 13:

Suspended services starting Wednesday, Sept. 14:

Suspended services starting Thursday, Sept. 15

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