(The following story by Jeff McCready appeared on The Tribune-Democrat website on January 26.)
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Amtrak’s timeliness is improving.
“It is much, much better,” said David Scott of Brownstown, who routinely takes the train from Johnstown to New York.
Various situations through the years, including the 1999 breakup of Conrail, have caused problems for Amtrak. Computer glitches involving Norfolk Southern and CSX, which split up Conrail, caused traffic jams on the tracks.
Subsidies to Conrail from the federal government have been an ongoing question.
“I like taking the train,” Toni Smith of Prospect said.
She said she calls Amtrak’s toll-free number, 1-800-872-7245, or calls the Johnstown Amtrak station at 535-3313, to find out whether the train is on time.
Amtrak statistics show that ridership for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 was more than 24 million, the highest annual total in its 32-year history.
Bob Abraham of Monroeville, a regional director of Keystone Association of Rail Passengers, a group interested in improving passenger rail service, points out that weather conditions, freight traffic and equipment problems affect on-time performance.
“The new Pennsylvanian (schedule) is very good,” Scott added in a telephone interview.
He credits the improvement to the leadership of Amtrak President David L. Gunn.
“He knows how to run a railroad,” Scott said, recalling that Gunn had made major improvements to the New York subway system prior to coming to Amtrak.
Abraham said he thinks Amtrak is paying more attention to passenger service.
Its trains also carry freight and mail.
The eastbound Three Rivers, which connects Chicago and New York, arrived in Johnstown at 12:30 p.m. one day last week, about an hour late. An Amtrak employee who answered the telephone at the Johnstown station said that the 2:06 p.m. westbound Pennsylvanian that links Pittsburgh and New York was on time.
The westbound Three Rivers stops in Johnstown at 8:05 p.m. daily. The eastbound Pennsylvanian stops in Johnstown at 9:04 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 3:04 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.