Tentative Labor Agreement Allows Gold Runner to Avert Total Service Suspension
Stockton CA - The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) is extremely pleased to hear the news of a tentative agreement being reached between the freight railroad carriers and all of their respective employee unions. In response, SJJPA and Amtrak were able to restore most of the planned suspended Gold Runner service on Thursday, September 15, 2022. However, Gold Runner will not be operating trains 702 and 703 and their associated Thruway Buses on Thursday, September 15, 2022, as a result of the negotiation uncertainty. On Friday, September 16, 2022, Gold Runner will operate its full service. SJJPA will continue to monitor the situation and keep the passengers and community informed.
Because a deal was not reached by 5:00 pm, Wednesday September 14, SJJPA was required to begin suspending strategic portions of its service for the following Thursday (today). The purpose of today's suspensions was to ensure that passengers and equipment do not run the risk of being caught in the middle of the corridor should an agreement not be reached. However, due to constraints in the timing of the tentative agreement, trains 702 and 703 will remain suspended, Thursday, September 15, 2022.
With assurance that a work stoppage has been averted, SJJPA is confident that the there will not be a lapse in personnel, including freight dispatchers and other servicepeople that work to keep the host railroads operational and safe. Therefore, SJJPA plans to resume normal service beginning Friday, September 16, 2022.
"Our agency is extremely pleased to hear the news that a tentative agreement has been reached between freight railroad carriers and all of their respective employee unions," said Stacey Mortensen, SJJPA Executive Director. "As we promised to restore service as quickly as possible, we are happy to report that we are able to restore nearly all of the planned suspended service for today which will be welcome news to our loyal passengers. We greatly appreciate the patience and flexibility of our passengers and partners. We stay committed to keeping you informed as the national collective bargaining process moves forward."
# # #
About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA)
Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Gold Runner. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile Gold Runner Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com. Gold Runner is Amtrak's 6th busiest route with 1.1 million annual riders and 18 stations providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Prior to service modifications due to the COVID-19 crisis, Gold Runner ran 7 daily train round-trips and its Thruway buses provided connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno. To book your next trip, visit www.AmtrakSanJoaquins.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
