Amtrak suspends City of New Orleans route ahead of possible rail strike

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - The City of Carbondale is giving Amtrak passengers a heads up about a popular long distance route.

According to a letter from Amtrak, services for the City of New Orleans and six other long distance routes are suspended starting Wednesday, September 14 ahead of a possible nationwide rail strike.

The City of New Orleans route, from New Orleans to Chicago, makes multiple stops, including in Carbondale.

As for the Illini and Saluki service lines Amtrak offers, which run between Chicago and Carbondale, Amtrak says the Illini route is currently in service.

The Saluki line was suspended during the pandemic.

Both of these services are popular travel routes for Southern Illinois University Carbondale students and others traveling from southern Illinois to the central and northern cities of the state. They each make intermediate stops which include Champaign.

Amtrak says they are closely monitoring the ongoing freight rail and rail labor contract negotiations, which does not involve them or the Amtrak workforce.

If a strike does occur, Amtrak believes it will significantly impact passenger rail service.

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