Train companies around the country are bracing for a potential freight rail worker strike on Friday, and Amtrak is suspending long-distance train service in Florida because of it.
Amtrak confirmed to Orlando TV station WKMG that it would suspend long-distance trains that operate in Florida starting Wednesday, with all services suspended by Thursday.
That includes the Silver Star passenger train, which runs from Miami to New York and the Amtrak Auto Train, which runs between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia.
Amtrak says the ongoing freight rail labor negotiations do not affect Amtrak or its workforce. However, almost all of Amtrak’s services outside the northeastern states are run on tracks that are owned and maintained by freight railroads.
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“These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached,” an Amtrak spokesperson said in a statement.
The good news is that if you already purchased a train ticket for a route that is now canceled, you have options.
You can either change your reservation or ask for a full refund without having to worry about cancellation fees. Amtrak is waiving those fees.
If you chose to travel on another date, Amtrak will waive the difference in fairs for departure through the end of October.
Amtrak said it’s already reaching out to customers with tickets on canceled routes to see how those customers would like to proceed forward.
Be advised that if you are currently one of those customers who are considering changing your travel date, there’s a lot of uncertainty right now and Amtrak says there could be more disruptions if rail negotiations falter.
The freight railroad companies have been in negotiation with a dozen different unions since 2019, but the talks were slowed by the pandemic.
While many of the unions have reached tentative agreements, two large unions representing engineers and train conductors are holding out for better terms.
The government has tried to reach agreements, including President Biden who appointed a special board to make recommendations. The Biden administration put further pressure on the two sides Wednesday to settle their agreement.
If nothing happens, the workers can strike Friday morning just after midnight.