A potential strike by freight rail workers began disrupting the nation’s passenger rail system Monday, potentially disrupting commutes and cross-country travel for thousands of Americans if a strike is not averted.
Amtrak announced Monday that disruptions will begin Tuesday on its national network. The passenger railway said it is pulling trains on three long-distance routes “to avoid possible disruption to passengers en route”.
“These initial adjustments … could be followed by impacts on all long-haul routes and most state-supported routes,” Amtrak said in a statement. “These adjustments are necessary to ensure that trains can reach their terminals before the disruption of rail freight service if a resolution is not reached in the negotiations.”
Amtrak owns and operates much of its own track on the busy Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, but elsewhere it crosses the country on tracks owned by freight lines. Commuter lines that run between major cities and suburbs often operate on a similar model. It is likely that these freight tracks would not be available for passenger trains in the event of a general strike.
Any disruption would affect a passenger rail industry already weakened by 2 and a half years of the pandemic, which has particularly affected commuter lines.
Amtrak said it is closely monitoring the labor negotiations and is “hopeful that the parties will reach a resolution,” citing potential effects on passenger operations. Amtrak said it has begun gradual service adjustments in preparation for a possible disruption of freight rail service later this week, adding that “this disruption could significantly impact intercity passenger rail service.”
Amtrak announced Monday train cancellations departing Tuesday on the Empire Builder, California Zephyr and Southwest Chief routes.
Most trips within the Northeast Corridor would not be affected, Amtrak said. However, minor schedule changes are expected on a small number of Northeast Regional trains serving destinations from Virginia to Boston. The company will allow passengers to change their booking for free for scheduled departures until October 31
Jim Mathews, president and chief executive of the Rail Passengers Association, said canceling trains earlier in the week makes sense to avoid a scenario where rail passengers could be stranded.
“Better to cancel some trains now than send some people on the road and then leave them stranded in the middle of nowhere because the strike has come and the train can’t move anymore,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re all crossing our fingers for the end [the railroads and labor unions] to reach an agreement”.
Freight railroads and unions representing their workers have been locked in a long-running dispute over wages and working conditions. After a presidential panel recommended a compromise, 10 of the 12 unions involved in the talks have signed the agreement, but the two largest have not. A cooling-off period ends Thursday night, after which workers could strike or railroads could block passenger rail agencies.
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Officials from several regional rail agencies said Monday they were holding internal meetings to determine the potential effects and develop contingency plans. A strike is not certain and the extent of any disruption to passenger services was unclear.
A key question would be whether freight railroad dispatchers, whose job it is to route trains, will continue to work. Without them, passenger trains probably couldn’t run on freight tracks.
Metrolink, a network of seven lines serving Los Angeles and other Southern California communities, warned customers last week of the potential for disruptions. Scott Johnson, a spokesman for the agency, said five of its seven lines use tracks owned by freight railroads, meaning up to 70 percent of its customers could be affected.
However, Johnson said Metrolink had little information Monday about what the precise effects might be.
“We’re working largely from a position of obscurity,” he said.
Typically, when Metrolink cancels trains, Johnson said it arranges for buses as replacements. But in the event of a strike, the agency does not expect to be able to provide an alternative means of transportation.
“Due to the potentially expansive nature and high number of trains, there simply aren’t enough buses to provide an alternative service,” Johnson said.
The Maryland Department of Transportation said Monday that it had been notified by CSX Freight Railroad about the possibility of a strike starting Friday. The state said a strike would result in the “immediate suspension” of all service on two of its three MARC commuter lines serving the district: one in Baltimore and one in Martinsburg, W.Va.
Virginia Railway Express officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
DJ Stadtler, executive director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, which oversees passenger service in the state, said the authority is working with Amtrak and freight railroads to ensure passengers receive the “most up-to-date information available ” in case of a hit.
Not all commuter rail operations would be affected. RTD, the transit agency that serves Denver, said it did not expect its lines to suffer in the event of a strike. The nation’s largest transit operator, the New York MTA, said its two commuter rail services were also not expected to be affected.
The looming railroad strike could further wreck a national rail network that has been slowing to a surge for months, Railroad Passengers Association officials said, particularly hurting Amtrak passengers.
A battle for freight lines that will determine the future of American passenger rail
Disruptions to intercity train operations are on the rise, and more are likely as uncertainties persist amid staff shortages and rising demand. Amtrak travel has been hampered by worsening problems on freight rail lines, which often share tracks with Amtrak trains.
One-third of Amtrak customers experienced delays in July, according to point-in-time performance data, with an average delay of 71 minutes. Amtrak data shows that the proportion of delayed customers is increasing and delays are getting longer.
Disruptions are most pronounced for travelers on long-haul routes, who arrive late more than half the time, and in parts of the country outside the Northeast Corridor. Rail association officials said the dispute could lead to delayed trains or more widespread cancellations.
Commuter rail operators have been greatly affected by the changes in work patterns caused by the pandemic. In many cases, they offer a more limited service during peak hours, which no longer suits workers with more flexible schedules. In Los Angeles, for example, Johnson said Metrolink had about 40,000 weekday boardings before the pandemic, down from about 17,000 now.