Potential Railroad Strike Could Disrupt Train Service In NoVA, DC

VIRGINIA/DC — Virginia Railway Express is warning passengers about possible disruptions if rail workers and management at rail companies are unable to reach a deal on a new union contract, while Amtrak said Wednesday it's canceling all long-distance routes starting Thursday, but service in the Northeast is expected to run normally.

An Amtrak spokesperson told Patch the service "will only operate trains this week that we can ensure will have enough time to reach their final destinations by 12:01 a.m. on Friday," when the potential strike would go into effect if negotiating parties are unable to come to an agreement.

In a statement to Axios, Amtrak said it was hopeful for a resolution but had begun phased service interruptions to prepare.

Railroad workers and the owners have been at an impasse over issues such as sick time and penalties for missing work. If there is a rail strike, it would be the first in about three decades. A shutdown would go into after midnight on Friday if the parties fail to reach a deal.

VRE operations staff would not be part of a labor strike. But the commuter rail uses CSX- and Norfolk Southern-owned tracks to operate its trains. Without any dispatchers, the tracks would be shut down and VRE would suspend operations, InsideNoVa reported Tuesday.

“Any labor strike would result in the immediate suspension of all VRE train service until a resolution is reached,” VRE said an alert about a potential service disruption. “We, of course, hold out hope for a resolution — by all concerned — before the Friday deadline.”

VRE recommended that riders make alternative plans for commuting if a strike does begin Friday.

Area commuters are already dealing with no Metrorail service through Oct. 22 at the six Yellow and Blue Line stations south of Reagan National Airport — the Braddock Road, King Street-Old Town, Eisenhower Avenue, Huntington, Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield stations.

Yellow Line service also will be suspended between Pentagon and L'Enfant Plaza between Sept. 10 and May 2023 for work on the Yellow Line tunnels and bridge over the Potomac River. The City of Alexandria is encouraging commuters to make a plan for the shutdowns.

Due to the Metro station closures and to attract new riders, VRE is letting passengers ride for free during September and between certain stations in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia in October. VRE passengers will not need a ticket to travel between any of VRE’s 19 stations.

The King Street station in Alexandria was busier than usual on Tuesday because of the Metro station closures, NBC4 reported. A Metro rider said he thought taking VRE to work would be a good alternative.

“This is the first I've heard of it and it gives me a little anxiety because this was my plan to get to work for the next six weeks," the rider told NBC4 of the possible labor strike.

While Amtrak's service north of D.C. along the Northeast Corridor would likely not be affected by a strike, the passenger railroad said “a small number” of Northeast Regional departures to the south could be affected.

Below is a list Amtrak provided of long-distance trains that have been canceled:

• Canceled Long Distance Trains:
  • Southwest Chief
  • Empire Builder
  • California Zephyr
  • City of New Orleans
  • Coast Starlight
  • Crescent
  • Lake Shore Limited
  • Silver Star
  • Sunset Limited
  • Texas Eagle
  • Auto Train
  • Capitol Limited
  • Cardinal
  • Palmetto (south of Washington)

• Canceled State-Supported frequencies for the evening of Thursday, Sept. 15:

• Capitol Corridor
• Cascades
• Heartland Flyer
• Illinois Service
• Michigan Service
• Pacific Surfliner
• Piedmont
• San Joaquins
• Springfield Service (north of Springfield)
• Virginia Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) on Monday suggested that Congress would take measures to stop a rail strike “if needed,” according to The Hill.

“Obviously a railroad strike at this point in time would be extraordinary detrimental to our economy and the American people," Hoyer told Bloomberg. "And we want to avoid that. The president has certain authorities that he can exercise. The Congress can also pass legislation. We are very focused on this and we want to avoid a crippling railroad strike."

RELATED:

• All Amtrak Long-Distance Routes Canceled Ahead Of Possible Strike
• Alexandria Commuters Encouraged To Prepare For Metro Shutdowns