UPDATE TO SERVICE CHANGES

Due to recent Congressional action, Amtrak will temporarily continue operating the four long-distance passenger train routes that had earlier been slated for discontinuance on Nov. 10, but as a result Amtrak must delay restoration of daily service on three other long-distance routes. These temporarily restored services will now operate until May 10, 1997.

These changes are reflected in Amtrak's reservations systems, so do not hesitate to call 1-800-USA-RAIL or your travel agent to book your next trip. Below is a summary of the changes, and following the summary is the Amtrak press release detailing these changes.

• Summary of Temporarily Retained Long-Distance Service
  
  • Texas Eagle: Maintain current three-days-weekly service between St. Louis and Los Angeles, via San Antonio.
    
  • Pioneer: Maintain current three-days-weekly service between Chicago and Portland/Seattle via Denver.
    
  • Desert Wind: Maintain current three-days-weekly service between Chicago and Los Angeles, via Salt Lake City.
    
  • Lake Shore Limited: Maintain daily service between Boston and Chicago, via Albany.
    
  • Gulf Coast Limited: Maintain daily service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. through March 31, 1997.
    

• Summary of New Service
  
  • Silver Palm: Add new third daily service between New York and Miami.
    
  • Three Rivers: Extend daily service between New York and Chicago via Pittsburgh.
    
  • Crescent: Continue daily service between New York and New Orleans, via Atlanta (begun July, 1996).
    

*** See Press Release Below for Further Details ***

Contacts:
Clifford Black, Washington - (202) 906-3860;
Marc Magliari, Chicago - (312) 655-2391;
Dominick Albano, Oakland - (510) 238-4360;
Rick Remington (Philadelphia) - (215) 349-2735

AMTRAK DETAILS SERVICE CHANGES
IN RESPONSE TO CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

WASHINGTON -- Due to recent Congressional action, Amtrak will temporarily continue operating the four long-distance passenger train routes that had earlier been slated for discontinuance on Nov. 10, but as a result must delay restoration of daily service on three other long-distance routes.

Amtrak Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas M. Downs said of the change, "We are gratified by the outpouring of public support across the country and in Congress for a national rail passenger system, but regret delaying the benefits that would result from implementing our business plan. My greatest concern is that we will overwhelm our customers with the confusion these changes generate."

In August, Amtrak announced proposed schedule changes as part of its Fiscal Year 1997 (FY97) business plan to reduce costs and significantly increase revenues. That plan would have eliminated segments of four routes and redirected the company's resources to its best market opportunities. The four routes that had been slated for discontinuance were: the Texas Eagle; the Pioneer; the Desert Wind; and the Boston-Albany section of the Lake Shore Limited. These services will now operate until May 10, 1997.

Prior to adjourning, the 104th Congress appropriated an additional $22.5 million to temporarily continue operating the trains through May 10, in order to allow states to explore possible permanent funding sources. A fifth train, the New Orleans-Mobile, Ala., Gulf Coast Limited, which was to have ceased operation Sept. 30, also received a six-month extension until March 31, 1997. The additional operating funds can only be used to retain service that was scheduled to end. The lawmakers also appropriated $60 million in capital for the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project.

Keeping these five routes in operation will require equipment and operating resources that would have been used to increase service frequency on other routes. The restoration of daily frequencies that would have occurred in November are now delayed until May 11 on the following train segments: the Minneapolis/St. Paul-Seattle/Portland segment of the Empire Builder; the Salt Lake City-Oakland segment of the California Zephyr; and the Chicago-New Orleans City of New Orleans. Plans to restore through New York-Pittsburgh-Chicago service also had to be modified. The Three Rivers will be extended to Chicago, but will not offer sleeping-car and dining-car service. Its renaming as the Broadway Limited is postponed until these First Class services can be offered. The plan to inaugurate a third New York-Florida round-trip, the Silver Palm, will go ahead unchanged.

The $60 million increase in capital funding will allow Amtrak to keep on schedule for start-up of 150 mph high-speed service in the Northeast Corridor by 1999. Earlier cuts in Northeast Corridor Improvement Project (NECIP) funding would have left Amtrak with high-speed trains but without an adequate railroad to run them at those speeds. The revenues generated by this service are expected to provide profits by 2002 and play a significant role in reducing Amtrak's dependence on federal operating support.

Amtrak is already working with state and local officials where service has been temporarily continued to determine if future state funding for the trains will be possible. Amtrak and these officials are exploring a wide range of options designed to meet the states' longer-term service needs and resources.

Since August, Amtrak has been selling tickets consistent with the service schedules in its business plan. A new schedule covering these recent actions is now in Amtrak's information and reservations system, which can be reached at 1-800-USA-RAIL or via travel agents. Negatively affected customers with existing reservations will be contacted by Amtrak.

ROUTES AND SERVICES THAT WILL
CONTINUE DUE TO CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
THROUGH MAY 10, 1997

• Maintain current Texas Eagle service between St. Louis and San Antonio. The three-days-weekly Texas Eagle, which operates between Chicago, St. Louis and San Antonio, will be continued. Also continued are connecting coaches to and from the Texas Eagle and the Sunset Limited at San Antonio to provide through service to Los Angeles. Texas Eagle service will depart Chicago on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays and will depart San Antonio on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Daily Texas Eagle service will also continue between Chicago and St. Louis.
• Maintain current Pioneer service. The three-days-weekly Pioneer, which operates between Chicago, Denver and Portland/Seattle, will be continued. Westbound Pioneer service will depart Chicago on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and eastbound Pioneer service will depart Seattle and Portland on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Maintain current Desert Wind service. The three-days-weekly Desert Wind, which operates between Chicago and Los Angeles, will continue to operate. Westbound Desert Wind service will depart Chicago on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and eastbound Desert Wind service will depart Los Angeles on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Maintain daily Lake Shore Limited service between Boston and Albany, N.Y. The Boston-Albany section of the Lake Shore Limited, which operates daily between Chicago and New York/Boston via Albany, will be continued.
• Maintain daily Gulf Coast Limited service. The Gulf Coast Limited, which operates daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., will continue to operate through March 31. This state-supported service had been scheduled to be discontinued on Sept. 30 at the end of its 90-day demonstration period.

FY 1997 BUSINESS PLAN ELEMENTS RETAINED

• Add daily Silver Palm train and restructure Silver Service between New York and Miami. Amtrak currently operates two daily trains between New York and Miami, the Silver Star and Silver Meteor. A third daily train, the Silver Palm, will begin operation on Nov. 10 in order to take better advantage of market demand.
• Operate the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and Sanford, Fla. The three-days-weekly Sunset Limited, which currently operates between Los Angeles and Miami, will originate and terminate in Sanford, Fla., instead of Miami, as of Nov. 10. Dedicated motor coach service will connect the Sunset Limited at Sanford with Orlando. Sunset Limited service will depart Sanford and Los Angeles on Sundays, Tuesday and Fridays. The current frequency of Florida service between Jacksonville and Miami will be maintained by the addition of the Silver Palm.
• Provide daily service by the Crescent between New Orleans and New York. The New Orleans-New York Crescent had operated daily between New York and Atlanta and four-days-weekly in each direction over the Atlanta-New Orleans segment of its route. Temporary daily service over the entire route during the Summer Olympics has been extended in response to customer demand.
• Extend daily service on the Three Rivers between New York and Chicago via Pittsburgh. The current New York-Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Three Rivers, which connects at Pittsburgh with the Washington, D.C.-Chicago Capitol Limited, will be extended to Chicago, as of Nov. 10. This action eliminates a time-consuming train switching operation at Pittsburgh and restores service over the former Broadway Limited route in Northern Ohio and Indiana. Plans to restore the Broadway Limited train name are postponed because of a reduction in service levels due to a shortage of available passenger cars.

FY 1997 BUSINESS PLAN ELEMENTS THAT
HAVE BEEN POSTPONED

• Postpone restoration of daily Empire Builder service between Chicago and Portland/Seattle. The Empire Builder will continue four-days-weekly service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Portland/Seattle. Westbound Empire Builder service to Portland/Seattle will depart Chicago on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and eastbound Empire Builder service will depart Portland/Seattle on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Daily Empire Builder service will continue between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Service will be maintained daily between the Chicago and Seattle/Portland markets by the combination of the four-days-weekly Empire Builder and the three-days-weekly Pioneer. Plans to restore daily Empire Builder service are postponed due to a shortage of available passenger cars, crews and funding because of the continued operation of services that had been scheduled to be discontinued.
• Postpone restoration of daily California Zephyr service between Oakland/San Francisco and Chicago. The California Zephyr will continue four-days-weekly service between Salt Lake City and Oakland/San Francisco. Westbound California Zephyr service will depart Chicago on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and eastbound California Zephyr service will depart Oakland/San Francisco on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Service will be maintained daily between Chicago and Salt Lake City. Plans to restore daily California Zephyr service are postponed due to a shortage of available passenger cars, crews and funding because of the continued operation of services that had been scheduled to be discontinued.
• Postpone restoration of daily City of New Orleans service between New Orleans and Chicago. The City of New Orleans will continue to provide service to and from Chicago and New Orleans, daily except Tuesdays, and will not achieve the equipment utilization improvements sought by sharing passenger cars with the Empire Builder. Plans to restore daily City of New Orleans service are postponed.