UPDATED: Commuter rail providers brace for potential rail strike

UPDATE 9/15/2022: Freight rail carriers and unions have reached a tentative agreement that will avoid strike action. Passenger rail providers are taking steps to restore services that had previously been cancelled. 

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A looming national rail shutdown is putting passenger rail providers on alert that their service could also be negatively impacted or suspended because of any strike activity that could start one minute after midnight on Friday, Sept. 16, which is the end of a 60-day cooling off period instituted by a Presidential Emergency Board.

The Rail Passengers Association said it is time to “consider the very real potential that tens of thousands of rail workers may go on strike this weekend.”

“We are tracking these negotiations with great interest because, while they center on the relationship between rail workers and the freight railroads, there is simply no way to disentangle the passenger and freight operations of this network,” said President of the Rail Passenger Association Jim Mathews.

Passenger rail impacts

The six Class 1 freight railroads own most of the rail infrastructure in the United States and have agreements in place allowing passenger rail access to that infrastructure. Amtrak, which operates trains coast-to-coast along a network covering more than 21,000 miles owns three percent of those route miles.

Amtrak has preemptively canceled all long distance trains and explains state-supported routes could also be suspended. The railroad said outside of a small number ofNortheast Regionaldepartures, Northeast Corridor service will not be impacted. Amtrak says the adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached. 

The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), which manages the Amtrak San Joaquins and ACE services, will suspend six San Joaquins trains and Thruway Bus service, as well as late morning and evening ACE trains starting Sept. 15 and all train and bus service on Sept. 16 if labor negotiations do not result in an agreement. The cancellation of ACE trains is to mitigate the risk any train would be left in the corridor after midnight on Sept. 16. 

“SJJPA has our passengers front of mind as we prepare for a potential work stoppage. As part of our commitment, we promise to continue to provide up-to-date information as it becomes available,” said SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen. “We are working in close collaboration with both our host railroads and community partners to ensure timely information and resources can be made available. In the event of a work stoppage, we will do everything in our power to restore service as quickly as possible.”

The Chicago area's Metra provided an updated customer statement the morning of Sept. 14 that it expects to be able to operate service on five of its 11 lines including the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines, which Metra owns, as well as the SouthWest Service, Milwaukee District North and Milwaukee District West lines. Metra says it is continuing communication with its freight partners to determine the ability to operate Heritage Corridor and North Central Service lines. Should a work stoppage occur, Metra will be suspended on its BNSF, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines. BNSF and Union Pacific own and operate these lines and have informed Metra they will curtail service after the evening rush on Sept. 15 in anticipation of a work stoppage. 

In California, Metrolink says a complete or partial service shutdown could impact portions of its Orange County, Inland Empire-Orange County, 91/Perris Valley, Riverside and Ventura County lines. Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration warned riders of the MARC Camden and Brunswick Lines to make alternative plans ahead of the potential strike. Virginia Railway Express issued a statement that any labor strike would result in immediate suspension of all VRE train service.

“We of course hold out hope for a resolution – by all concerned – before the Friday deadline,” the VRE statement included.

In total, 115,000 rail employees were impacted by this round of negotiations and as of Sept. 13, nine of the 12 unions had reached tentative agreements with the freight railroads. However, two unions, BLET and SMART-TD, representing the highest number of workers have not reached agreements. 

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Updated 9/14/22 at 2:30 p.m. to include updated information from Amtrak.