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Archive -- Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers - Chicago Meeting
Date
Saturday, May 13, 2017 11:30 AM Saturday, May 13, 2017 2:30 PM
Location
MARP Meeting At Chicago's Union Station
Saturday, May 13, 2017
11:30am - 2:30pm
Barbershop Meeting Room in the Legacy Lounge off the Great Hall
MARP is planning a special meeting for Saturday, May 13, at Chicago Union Station. The meeting will take place in the historic Barbershop that has been impressively restored as a meeting room. It is located adjacent to the new Legacy Lounge off the southwest corner of the Great Hall. To accommodate Wolverine and Blue Water passengers, the meeting will begin at 11:30 AM CDT.
Martin Bloedt, Sales and Product Manager Locomotives, Siemens Industry Inc., will speak to us about next-generation passenger train equipment, including the SC-44 Charger locomotives currently being delivered for use on Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri routes.
Laura Kliewer, Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (miprc.org), will update us on the FRA-led Midwest Regional Rail Planning Study (MidwestRailPlan.org) that has recently gotten underway. A 43-member stakeholder planning group has been named and has undergone the first of four Workshops to be held throughout the 18-month study period.
Some pleasant surprises are in store if you have not visited Chicago Union Station lately. Ticketing and queuing to board trains now takes place in the Great Hall. As you approach the Great Hall, you will envy the business and first class passengers seen on the other side of the large windows who are enjoying the comforts and amenities of the new Metropolitan Lounge. The former Ladies’ Lounge, a space unused for many years, has been beautifully and meticulously restored and is available to rent for large gatherings. Guided tours are available most weekday afternoons. The famous steps have been rebuilt with travertine from the same quarry as the original. Among the stone masons who worked on the steps are descendants of some of the original workmen. We will try to arrange for a guided tour, but in any case, you will have an opportunity to look around and be impressed.
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"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.