Save Our Trains Michigan
Conductor
News Release
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marc Magliari (312) 880-5390
ATK-05-083
October 10, 2005
Amtrak Trains to Roll Out of New Orleans on October 9
City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and Crescent to Atlanta and New York resume service
WASHINGTON - The first passenger rail service from New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina suspended all operations will begin Sunday, Oct. 9, with the departures of the City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and the Crescent to Atlanta and New York, Amtrak announced today.
Passengers may make reservations now at Amtrak.com, by calling 800-USA-RAIL or starting Saturday at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal at 1001 Loyola Ave.
The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, Amtrak facilities and the rail lines owned by the CN Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway leading into the city sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
“We are proud to restore our operations to and from New Orleans to both serve passengers and to help New Orleans rebuild,” said William L. Crosbie, Amtrak Senior Vice President for Operations. “We are looking forward to a steady growth in passengers to and from New Orleans as the city and the surrounding parishes make repairs and more businesses join us in reopening.”
The first train to depart New Orleans on Oct. 9 will be the Crescent at 7:20 a.m., en route to Meridian, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Washington, New York City and other destinations. At 1:45 p.m., the City of New Orleans will depart en route to Jackson, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., Carbondale, Ill., Chicago and other destinations.
The southbound City of New Orleans and Crescent will arrive from Chicago and New York later that afternoon and evening.
In FY 2004 (Oct. 2003-Sept. 2004), 161,449 passengers were ticketed to or from New Orleans, one of only two locations in the central U.S. where Amtrak trains connect between the east and west. Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 28, all of the eastern and western train connections have been made in Chicago while service along the gulf coast was disrupted.
At this time, taxis and other public transportation are not yet available within New Orleans and many other services are very limited.
Service that had been provided to New Orleans on a three-days-weekly schedule by the Sunset Limited (trains 1 & 2) to Orlando and Los Angeles is not yet restored. Plans for service to the west, via Beaumont and Houston, will be announced at a later date. Service to the east, via Biloxi and Mobile, will not be possible until 2006 at the earliest because of the extreme nature of the damage done to tracks, bridges and other infrastructure owned by CSX Transportation.
About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marc Magliari (312) 880-5390
ATK-05-083
October 10, 2005
Amtrak Trains to Roll Out of New Orleans on October 9
City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and Crescent to Atlanta and New York resume service
WASHINGTON - The first passenger rail service from New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina suspended all operations will begin Sunday, Oct. 9, with the departures of the City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and the Crescent to Atlanta and New York, Amtrak announced today.
Passengers may make reservations now at Amtrak.com, by calling 800-USA-RAIL or starting Saturday at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal at 1001 Loyola Ave.
The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, Amtrak facilities and the rail lines owned by the CN Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway leading into the city sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
“We are proud to restore our operations to and from New Orleans to both serve passengers and to help New Orleans rebuild,” said William L. Crosbie, Amtrak Senior Vice President for Operations. “We are looking forward to a steady growth in passengers to and from New Orleans as the city and the surrounding parishes make repairs and more businesses join us in reopening.”
The first train to depart New Orleans on Oct. 9 will be the Crescent at 7:20 a.m., en route to Meridian, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Washington, New York City and other destinations. At 1:45 p.m., the City of New Orleans will depart en route to Jackson, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., Carbondale, Ill., Chicago and other destinations.
The southbound City of New Orleans and Crescent will arrive from Chicago and New York later that afternoon and evening.
In FY 2004 (Oct. 2003-Sept. 2004), 161,449 passengers were ticketed to or from New Orleans, one of only two locations in the central U.S. where Amtrak trains connect between the east and west. Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 28, all of the eastern and western train connections have been made in Chicago while service along the gulf coast was disrupted.
At this time, taxis and other public transportation are not yet available within New Orleans and many other services are very limited.
Service that had been provided to New Orleans on a three-days-weekly schedule by the Sunset Limited (trains 1 & 2) to Orlando and Los Angeles is not yet restored. Plans for service to the west, via Beaumont and Houston, will be announced at a later date. Service to the east, via Biloxi and Mobile, will not be possible until 2006 at the earliest because of the extreme nature of the damage done to tracks, bridges and other infrastructure owned by CSX Transportation.
About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.
