Amtrak, a government-subsidized rail operator, has canceled dozens of trains as Winter Storm Blair barrels through the Central Plains toward the Mid-Atlantic, bringing snow, sleet, ice, and blizzard conditions.
Newsweek has reached out to Amtrak's media team and the Department of Transportation's press team for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in 15 states. Blizzard and heavy snow conditions are predicted across large regions of Kansas and the Omaha valley in Nebraska as Blair picks up.
In addition to the major winter storm, Arctic air is expected to bring subfreezing temperatures to large parts of the United States, likely worsening weather and travel conditions.
Millions of riders rely on and use Amtrak for business and leisure. The rail operator set an all-time ridership record in its 2024 fiscal year with 32.8 million passengers.
Canceled Amtrak Trains: What to Know
In an updated service advisory on Sunday afternoon, Amtrak announced nearly 80 train cancelations due to forecasted weather conditions from Winter Storm Blair. In the statement it noted that the "adjustments have been made with no alternative transportation being offered."
For customers who were on the affected trains, Amtrak says they "will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL."
It also recommended that travelers stay updated on train information via the company's X, formerly Twitter, page.
Train Cancelations on January 5
Six long distant trains are canceled on Sunday:
- Texas Eagle (Train 21/421)
- Floridian (Trains 40 and 41)
- Cardinal (Train 51)
- City of New Orleans (Trains 58 and 59)
In the Midwest, 14 trains are canceled on Sunday:
- Lincoln Service (Trains 300, 301, 302, 305, 306, and 307)
- Missouri River Runner (Trains 311 and 316)
- Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner (Train 318 and 319)
- Saluki and Illini Service (Trains 390, 391, 392, and 393).
Further east, three Northeast Regional trains are affected:
- Train 67 is canceled
- Train 195 is canceled between Washington and Richmond, Virginia,
- Train 157 is canceled between Washington and Norfolk, Virginia.
Train Cancelations on January 6
On Monday, over two dozen trains in the Northeast corridor are canceled, including several Acela trains running between Boston and Washington D.C.
- Trains 2103, 2107, 2108, 2121, 2122, 2124.
Several others have partial cancelations along their route, such as:
- Trains 2150, 2154, 2168, 2170, 2172, 2151, 2153, 2155, 2159, and 2173.
The Northeast Regional also boasts numerous cancelations, including:
- Trains 170, 130, 172, 112, 182, 84, 86, 134, 138, 66, 151, 181, 119, 131, 193, 197, 175, 179, and 85.
- Partial cancelations are in effect on Trains 141, 94, 95, 171, 125, 93, 174.
- The Carolinian trains 79 and 80 are canceled between New York and Raleigh.
For Midwest service, 10 trains are canceled:
- Lincoln Service (Trains 300, 301, 302, 305, 306, and 307)
- Missouri River Runner (Trains 311 and 316)
- Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner (Trains 318 and 319).
Train Cancelations on January 7
Two trains are canceled on Tuesday:
- Northeast Regional 86 between Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
- Northeast Regional Train 84 between Norfolk, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Weather Conditions
The train adjustments come as Winter Storm Blair, named by the Weather Channel, tears through the central U.S., with "heavy snow, gusty winds and damaging ice accumulations," according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Meanwhile, pressure changes of the polar vortex are bringing Arctic air southwards, which may disrupt railways by causing electronic signal malfunctions due to cold temperatures and excess ice accumulation.
Blair is expected to "significantly reduce visibilities" and bring the largest snowfall in a decade to areas from Kansas to the Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians, making "travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads," the NWS warns. Widespread power outages are expected to affect millions of Americans.
What People Are Saying
Amtrak Alerts, the official account wrote on X on January 4: "As this is a weather-related event, we will continue monitoring the situation and if anything changes, all customers scheduled for impacted services will be notified as soon as possible."
What Happens Next
The storm is moving across the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic region, where it is expected to hit Monday.
Trains are not the only mode of transportation affected, as nearly 1,500 U.S. flights were canceled Sunday and more than 5,000 were delayed, according to FlightAware.
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