AMTRAK PASS POLICY
Basic policy
· Whatever pass privileges any employee had at 11:59:59 P.M. on April 30.
1971 are the privileges he or she has now.
· For an employee to have home road pass privileges on a railroad , that railroad
had to be operating rail passenger services at 11:59:59 P.M on April 30, 1971.
· The freight railroads certify the eligibility of employees hired on or before that
Date, compensate Amtrak somewhat for any travel taken by an eligible employee, and will not compensate Amtrak for anyone not eligible.
Widows or in some cases (widowers) receiving a pass after the death of the railroad worker.
Amtrak policy that was inherited effective at 11:59:59 P.M. on April 30, 1971, is that a railroad
employee had to have 19 or more years of service as of that date in order for a widow(er) to
receive a pass after the employee’s death. That would mean a hire date of April 30, 1952 or
earlier.
Mergers and acquisitions in relation to Amtrak and pass privileges.
Once again, the policy is that the employee’s railroad had to be operating passenger service as
of 11:59:59 P.M. on April 30, 1971. Your home railroad should know that. Some examples are
the following:
· The Southern Pacific Railroad was operating passenger service at the time and
date and Amtrak trains continued to operate over Southern Pacific on May 1,
1971 and after. Therefore SP pass riders had home road pass privileges.
· The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was operating passenger service
at that time and date but Amtrak did not operate trains over the DRGW effective May 1, 1971. DRGW pass holders had off-road pass privileges because
their railroad operated rail passenger service the day before Amtrak began
operations. In 1983, Amtrak rerouted the California Zephyr off the UP between
Ogden and Denver and onto the DRGW; so therefore those employees had home road pass privileges again as there was now an Amtrak train operating on
their railroad again.
· The Boston and Maine Railroad discontinued all passenger service between Boston and Portland years before Amtrak started; that is, on April 30, 1971, they were freight only.
There were no pass privileges to protect. When Amtrak reinstated service on what is now Pan Am Railways over thirty years later,
` former Boston and Maine pass holders did not get home road privileges
Because their railroad was not operating rail passenger service at 11:59:59 P.M. on April 30, 1971.
Important Telephone Numbers
For Pass Questions
Former Railroad April 30, 1971 Current Railroad Telephone
Burlington Northern BNSF (817) 352-4983
Baltimore & Ohio CSX (904) 359-7673
Chesapeake & Ohio
ATTN: Deb Young
Denver & Rio Grande UP (402) 626-7114
Delaware & Hudson CP (403) 319-7952
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio CN (708) 332-4519
Grand Trunk Western CN (708) 332-4519
Illinois Central Railroad CN (708) 332-4519
Louisville & Nashville CSX (904) 359-7673
ATTN: Deb Young
Missouri Pacific UP (402) 626-7114
Milwaukee Road CP (800) 234-0013
Norfolk & Western NS (800) 624-4193
Ext 5249
Penn Central CSX/NS (215) 209-5063
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac CSX (904) 359-7673
ATTN: Deb Young
Seaboard Coast Line CSX (904) 359-7673
ATTN: Deb Young
ATSF BNSF (817) 352-4983
Southern Pacific UP (402) 626-7114
Southern Railway NS (800) 624-4193
Ext 5249
Union Pacific UP (402) 626-7114
This is very important for widows whose railroad husbands hired out before April 30, 1952. They are the only ones eligible for a pass upon the death of the railroad retiree. The railroads will not compensate Amtrak for anyone who hired out after April 30, 1952.
Amtrak uses what they call a Death Master Audit plan to purge all deceased railroad workers irregardless of when they hired out. For those widows who meet the requirement of their husbands of April 30, 1952 and before it is the responsibility of the railroad widow to contact the home railroad for pass privileges in your own right. The pass will be issued in the name of the widow if she qualifies. The telephone numbers are listed above for reference.