(Reuters circulated the following story on September 3.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak will stop shipping U.S. mail next month to concentrate on its core passenger network, eliminating roughly 300 jobs and millions of dollars in annual costs, the railroad said on Friday.
“Mail and express no longer makes business sense for Amtrak and has negatively impacted the quality of our passenger service, so the decision has been made to exit the business,” said Amtrak chief executive David Gunn.
Amtrak said the business yielded marginal returns and slowed service on passenger routes because extra cars and more stops were required. The decision will also reduce maintenance expenses and costs for leasing aging special equipment and manning loading facilities.
Some stations in Florida, Ohio and Indiana will no longer be served by passenger trains as a result of the decision to terminate mail services, Amtrak said.
The railroad will still run its package shipping business on some trains.
Amtrak also announced it would eliminate one long-distance train between New York and Chicago, which was created for hauling mail.
Amtrak, created in the early 1970s, has been carrying mail for most of its history.