Amtrak is canceling all of its long-distance trains ahead of a looming strike, according to reports.
The decision comes as unions and railroad companies continue negotiations. While Amtrak isn’t directly involved, the company “operates almost all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on track owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said in a statement, according to CNN.
Amtrak made the reported decision to cancel all long-distance trains beginning Sept. 15 ahead of the potential strike.
“JUST IN: Amtrak is canceling ALL long-distance trains starting tomorrow fearing the impacts of a looming rail worker strike. Most Northeast Corridor trains not impacted,” CNN’s aviation and transportation correspondent Pete Muntean tweeted.
JUST IN: Amtrak is canceling ALL long-distance trains starting tomorrow fearing the impacts of a looming rail worker strike. Most Northeast Corridor trains not impacted.
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) September 14, 2022
Amtrak released a statement Tuesday on its website saying while the “ongoing freight rail management—labor contract negotiations” don’t “involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, many of our trains operate over freight railroad tracks.”
Amtrak therefore “has begun to make initial service adjustments in response to a possible freight railroad service interruption that could occur later this week,” according to the statement.
Acela service between Boston, New York and Washington will not be affected, according to CNN.
Labor unions are trying to negotiate pay and working conditions, with Sean Jeans-Gail of the Rail Passengers Association saying one of the main issues is “scheduling, the ability to go see a doctor and not get penalized or even fired,” according to WRIC 8.