RPA Submission on Sec. 207 Metrics and Standards

September 5, 2019

Sec. 207 Metrics & Standards September 2019 On Time Performance Late trains are the single most significant cause of passenger dissatisfaction. Our members are neither naïve nor intransigent, and recognize that a crucial issue contributing to freight-caused delays of passenger trains is the lack of capacity in the face of growing shipping and passenger traffic, along with a growing strategy within the industry towards so-called “precision railroading.” While sympathetic, the fact rem

Chef and Passenger Rail Advocate Completes 6,000-Mile Odyssey

Chef and Passenger Rail Advocate Completes 6,000-Mile “Summer By Rail” Food Odyssey Across U.S.

August 26, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-14) Rail Passengers Association Accepting Candidate Interest for 2020 (Washington D.C.) - Passenger rail advocate and Escoffier-grad Madi Butler, 27, finished the best summer job in America which took her nearly 6,000 miles around the country by train starting in Portland, ME and ending in San Francisco, CA this week. The "Summer By Rail” adventure lasted more than 50 days and included stops in 22 cities where she sampled local fare and cooked alongside some of the

Station Volunteers Step In to Support Rail in East Lansing, MI

Rail Passengers to National Launch Volunteer Program on August 23 and 24

August 16, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-13) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 (East Lansing, MI) - Members of the East Lansing and surrounding communities are coming together on August 23 and 24 to help enhance the passenger rail experience for people traveling on Amtrak. This is the Rail Passengers Association launch of its nationwide Station Volunteer Program which aims to help fill the void left after Amtrak unstaffed stations across the country as a part of an overhaul to the national rail n

MEDIA ADVISORY: Gulf Coast Rail Restoration Briefing in Mobile

Rail Passengers Association To Take Part in Hearing on Returning Trains to Gulf Coast

July 11, 2019

The Rail Passengers Association will take part in a July 12th briefing on restoring Gulf Coast regional passenger rail service between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. The briefing, hosted in Mobile by the Southern Rail Commission, will also present information on recently awarded federal rail grants associated with this proposed service.

Council Member to Testify Before Senate on National Network

ColoRail’s James Souby Will Defend Right of Rural, Small Town Americans to Access Passenger Rail System

June 26, 2019

The President of the Colorado Passenger Rail Association (ColoRail) and a Council Member of the Rail Passengers Association, James Souby of Colorado, will testify today before the U.S. Senate on the right of rural and small communities -- particularly those in the western and southern states -- to have access to reliable, efficient intercity rail service.

Supreme Court Declines Freight Rail’s Cert Petition For OTP

Decision is a Major Victory for Rail Passengers

June 3, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-10) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 Washington, D.C. - The Rail Passengers Association celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to deny the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) petition for a writ of certiorari. The AAR asked the Supreme Court review the D.C. Court of Appeals’ July 2018 decision that would grant Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) the ability to determine on-time performance metrics and standards for passenger trains.

America’s Trains Connect Riders To Foodie Destinations

Rail Passengers’ Culinary-Trained Intern to Embark on 50-Day Rail Trip to See and Taste America

May 28, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-9) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 Washington, D.C. - Across the U.S., chefs have been revolutionizing the culinary scene in cities large and small. From Portland, ME to Washington, D.C., or Charlotte, NC to Flagstaff, AZ, chefs have upped their game and what they’re creating in their kitchens is encouraging people to seek out cities they never would have before. During “Summer by Rail 2019” Chef Madison Butler, or Chef Madi, will be traveling by

NM, KS and CO Senators Honored for Bipartisan Work in Saving SWC

America’s Passengers Recognize Senators Bennet, Gardner, Heinrich, Moran, Roberts and Udall for Role in Keeping Train Running

April 2, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-8) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 Washington, D.C.—America’s rail passengers honored a bipartisan coalition of six senators with the Golden Spike Award today for the crucial role they played in saving the Southwest Chief train, and for their service to the tens of millions of Americans who depend upon a national train network. A Rail Passengers Association study found that the Senators’ actions preserves $180 million in economic activity in Kansas

Rail Passengers Remembers Joe Boardman As Passionate Leader

March 7, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-7) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 Washington, D.C. - Following the passing of former Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman on March 7, 2019, Rail Passengers Association President and CEO Jim Mathews said: “Joe Boardman believed in his bones that all Americans should have the ability to choose to travel by train. He was a passionate defender of the National Network, and a passionate believer in Amtrak. He was also very gracious with his time and his i

Second Train From Chicago To Twin Cities Could Bring $25M To MN

$47 Million Economic Benefit Felt Across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois - 90,000 People Could Shift From Car Travel to Passenger Rail

February 28, 2019

For Immediate Release (19-6) Contact: Xenophon Strategies - (202) 289-4001 Washington, D.C. - A second Amtrak train between Chicago and Minneapolis/ St. Paul could bring $25 million annually for the state of Minnesota, according to the Rail Passengers Association. This represents an economic return of eight- to ten- times Minnesota’s annual net spending to support the potential new service, which is an estimated $2 to $3 million annually. In a review of an Amtrak feasibility study, Rail Pass