Austin News

Amtrak will resume daily service Austin via the Texas Eagle line starting on May 24.

According to KVUE 24 News, the company is restoring service to 12 long-distance routes that were previously suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions and drops in ridership.

"Great news! @Amtrak will resume its daily service to Austin via the Texas Eagle starting on May 24 thanks to rising demand and newly secured congressional funding," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a social media post.

Amtrak acquired new congressional funding in response to recovering demand for service. The newly acquired funding will allow the company to resume operations and recall the more than 1,200 previously furloughed employees for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021 and into Fiscal Year 2022.

“Offering daily long-distance service represents a vital step in our road to recovery,” Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn said. “Recognizing the immense value of our employees, we’d like to thank Congress for enabling service restoration and helping us recall furloughed employees.”

Last October, Amtrak was forced to cut down service on the Texas Eagle line down to three days a week in response to decreased demand as a result of the pandemic, reported Culture Map Austin. Flynn had testified before the U.S. House seeking $5 billion to continue then current service levels and to avoid furloughs.

"As ridership returns, we intend to restore service frequency to previous levels," Flynn said in his testimony. "We remain committed to our long-distance system."

Amtrak received $1.7 billion in relief funding from the COVID-19 package signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The new daily schedules start on May 24, and have been grouped to return in three phases. Riders can find more information about routes here.