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[KevinKorell]

 

• Amtrak announced today that they are going to try a transcontinental coast-to-coast rail service once more.  The Boston/New York-Chicago Lake Shore Limited and the Chicago-Seattle/Portland Empire Builder will operate as one through train via Chicago.   The new train will continue the Lake Shore Limited practice of splitting and joining in Albany, and also in Spokane as the Empire Builder now does.  The main part of the train will run from New York to Seattle via Chicago, and the section that runs from Boston will be joined to the train at Albany and split from the train in Spokane to run to Portland.   Amtrak President/CEO Richard Anderson, stated that since Delta under his watch had transcontinental flights, then so should Amtrak have transcontinental trains. The new train, to be dubbed the Empire State Builder, will also be equipped with flotation devices under the seats, oxygen masks, and vomit bags.   At all station stops, only one door on the entire train will be used for boarding and detraining, so that the crew can say hello and goodbye to every passenger.
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• Soon, one will have more choices in their travel between Chicago and points in Texas. Greyhound and Amtrak announced a merger of sorts, with each carrier's tickets being cross-honored on the other's service between Chicago and Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.  The combination of "The Dog" buses and Amtrak's Texas Eagle will be known as the Texas Beagle.
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• After a rough start to 2018 whereby Amtrak cut out discounts for AAA members, students, and veterans and changed the percentage and eligibility age for senior discounts, new discounts are now being offered. In a new program, discounts are being offered to ex-cons, illegal immigrants, people who have received parking tickets, folks who have not flossed their teeth in a week, and those who have been shushed in a library.

[CNJRoss]

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