History
When did Amtrak first commence operations?
May 1, 1971
Which route is Amtrak's newest?
Borealis, first run on May 21, 2024.
Which AEM-7AC was the only one to feature a steel bell?
#916.
How many active Amtrak stations use the name "Penn Station"?
3. New York (NYP), Newark (NWK), and Baltimore (BAL)
Which deadly wreck raised concerns about the lack of Positive Train Control (PTC) installed on Amtrak's tracks?
Northeast Regional 188 - May 12, 2015.
During Amtrak's first few years of operation, their equipment was a mixed assortment of hand-me-down cars and locomotives from previous railroads. What is this period in time known as?
The Rainbow Era
Which route is Amtrak's longest by mileage?
California Zephyr (2,438 miles).
Which ACS-64 is the only one to sport more than one temporary advertising wrap?
606 wore the "Coca-Cola" wrap in 2019 and the "King Tut" wrap in 2022.
Which Amtrak station comes first in terms of alphabetical order?
Aberdeen, MD (ABE).
Amtrak's deadliest crash killed 47 people and took place in which Alabama town?
Mobile, AL (Sunset Limited crash - September 22, 1993).
Amtrak was finally able to say that the entire route between Washington DC and Boston was electrified during which year?
2000 (First electric service between NHV and BOS, the last section to be electrified, occurred on January 31, 2000).
How many different Amtrak routes operate in Canada?
3 (Adirondack, Cascades, Maple Leaf).
In 2010, Amtrak partnered with TLC to wrap an Acela train in a promotional wrap for the show "Cake Boss". Which trainset was it?
TS #11 (2017/2036)
Which 2 mainland U.S. states do not have any Amtrak stations?
South Dakota and Wyoming.
Boston crews often ask Northeast Regional engineers to pull at least 1 or 2 Amfleet cars off the platform at this stop, where 453 people were injured in a derailment in 1990.
Boston Back Bay (BBY), where Amtrak's "Night Owl" derailed after entering a 30mph curve at 76mph, tipping over and colliding with an MBTA commuter train that making its scheduled station stop at Back Bay on the adjacent track. Miraculously, no one was killed.
This was Amtrak's original name, and can still be found on seat checks.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC).
If you wanted to travel on Amtrak direct between New York and Chicago, but still wanted to catch a glimpse of Rocky's city, which route would you take?
The Cardinal, which travels down the NEC from New York to Washington, then continues on to Chicago (Although only 3 days a week).
How many Amtrak locomotives have worn the "Veterans" scheme?
2 (P42DC #42 and ACS-64 #642). Although the scheme was also worn by NPCUs 90208 and 90221, these are considered cabcars, not locomotives, since they cannot propel themselves.
Amtrak has 533 total active stations nationwide. Which U.S. state has the most?
California, with about 75 stations (search results yielded a mix between 74 and 76 stations).
This fatal accident not only took the lives of 16 people, but prompted the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to overhaul drug and alcohol regulations for all train crews in the United States.
The Chase, MD crash on January 4, 1987. Amtrak train #94, the Colonial, collided head-on with a set of lite Conrail locomotives at over 100mph, after the crew of the Conrail locomotives failed to obey a stop signal. The Conrail engineer later tested positive for cannabis and was sentenced to 4 years in a Maryland prison.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Amtrak achieved record ridership numbers in FY2019. Approximately how many people rode Amtrak during that time? (3 players=4 options, 4 players=5 options)
A. 26 Million
B. 28 Million
C. 30 Million
D. 32 Million
E. 34 Million
D. 32 Million (32,519,241)
Which daily Amtrak route makes the least amount of station stops?
The Auto Train, with 2 (Sanford, FL and Lorton, VA, which are also the terminating points). The Winter Park Express also makes only 2 stops (Denver, CO and Winter Park Resort), but only operates on Fridays and Weekends.
Before Amtrak contracted Bombardier and Alstom to create the Acela, which 2 foreign trainsets did they bring to America for testing? (Contestants must name both to receive the full 1000 points, 1 correct is 500 points with a chance for someone else to buzz in and name the other.)
The ICE1 and the X2000.
Amtrak's busiest station is New York Penn Station. How many different Amtrak routes utilize this station?
17 (Acela, Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Pennsylvanian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter).
It was supposed to be a momentous occasion, as the Point Defiance Bypass saw its first ever passenger train. Instead, a deadly derailment occurred and took the lives of 3 people on which train?
Cascades #501 - December 18, 2017 in DuPont, WA.