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Amtrak service to Homewood expected to resume after agreement averts rail strike

Amtrak’s train from Homewood to New Orleans remains canceled for tonight, but the online schedule shows it operating Friday, Sept. 16, an indication the railroad is confident a settlement agreement announced by the the Biden administration will prevent a looming strike.

In a statement on its website, Amtrak officials said the company “is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out directly to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures.”

Metra also issued a statement to let commuters know that expected service reductions would not likely go into effect. The Metra Electric Line, which serves the South Suburbs, including Homewood and Flossmoor, was not expected to be affected by the strike if it occurred, but service on most of Metra’s other routes would have stopped.

“We are happy to report that in the overnight hours a tentative agreement was reached between freight railroads and their unions, averting a strike that could have started tonight and halted service on the BNSF and three Union Pacific lines,” Metra officials said. “The late Thursday evening trains that had been cancelled by BNSF and Union Pacific in anticipation of a strike will now run as scheduled.”

News reports in recent days described the potential for a significant disruption to the economy if freight lines shut down during a strike, which could have started on Friday. NPR reports that, while the agreement still needs to be ratified by union members, it appears to address the work conditions that were key issues in the dispute.

President Joe Biden issued a statement Thursday morning, Sept. 15, announcing the tentative agreement. 

“It is a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America’s families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years. These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.

“For the American people, the hard work done to reach this tentative agreement means that our economy can avert the significant damage any shutdown would have brought.”

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