Several U.S. cities are bracing for travel disruptions as a looming strike against freight railroads threatens ripple effects on passenger service from Washington to Chicago and Los Angeles.
Thousands of Americans will have to find alternative means of transportation if the strike goes ahead, with commuter lines to Washington, D.C., and Chicago warning that trains on some routes will grind to a halt. Amtrak canceled all long-distance trains starting Thursday.
The disruptions come at a difficult time for Amtrak and transit agencies after ridership plunged during the pandemic and has yet to return to normal. President Joe Biden is racing to avoid a strike, but freight railroads and unions have just until Friday to resolve a labor dispute that could cost the world’s biggest economy $2 billion a day.
