Amtrak was scrambling to restart passenger service it had canceled after a looming strike of freight rail workers was averted early Thursday morning.
While Amtrak and its workers were not a part of the negotiations, the passenger railroad relies on train tracks owned and maintained by freight carriers throughout much of the country. On Wednesday, Amtrak started canceling all long-distance passenger trains, effective Thursday, because of the possible work stoppage.
But that strike, which would have wreaked economic havoc and disrupted travel on passenger trains, was averted after freight rail companies and unions representing tens of thousands of workers reached a tentative agreement on Thursday, following all-night talks brokered by Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh.
“This tentative agreement will keep our trains moving, stations bustling and employees proudly serving customers as we move them across this great country, stimulating local economies in more than 500 communities we serve,” Amtrak’s chief executive, Stephen Gardner, said in a statement. “Railroads play a vital role in the nation, and we thank President Biden, Secretaries Buttigieg, Walsh and Vilsack, the major freight railroads and rail labor unions for their hard work and commitment to get this deal done.”
The agreement now heads to union members for a ratification vote, which is a standard procedure in labor talks. While the vote is tallied, workers have agreed not to strike, an action that had the potential to cripple much of Amtrak’s long-distance service.
Amtrak owns most of the tracks it uses along the Northeast Corridor, which connects Boston, New York and Washington. As a result, that service, an important part of Amtrak’s business, would have been largely unaffected by a strike, the company said.
