Amtrak Wins Argument That Passengers Go First and Freight Can Wait

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4. Freight Railroads Fight New Rule for Amtrak Trains

Freight Railroads Fight New Rule for Amtrak Trains

Rule requires passenger train on-time performance be determined at each of Amtrak’s stops rather than at the end of its route



The Surface Transportation Board will deem a train ‘on time’ if it arrives at, or departs from, a station no more than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival or departure. Photo: Associated Press

By Laura Stevens
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Aug. 17, 2016 5:30 a.m. ET

Freight railroads are challenging in federal court a new stricter way of measuring on-time performance for Amtrak trains, the latest wrinkle in a battle over how far freight trains must go to enable passenger trains to arrive on time. ... Currently Amtrak’s on-time arrival report card is below average, at less than 80% systemwide. That rate drops below 56% for long-distance trains.

The Association of American Railroads late last week filed documents with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging a new rule issued by the Surface Transportation Board that requires that passenger train on-time performance be determined at each of Amtrak’s stops rather than at the end of its route. The rule is to take effect later this month.

That means the on-time performance of Amtrak’s California Zephyr departing from Chicago will be measured at Denver, Salt Lake City and other stops en route, not just at its final destination near San Francisco.

This way of measuring on-time performance is seen as a more accurate way to measure Amtrak punctuality between cities that are stops on longer routes. The Board will deem a train “on time” if it arrives at, or departs from, a station no more than 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival or departure.
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—Andrew Tangel contributed to this article.