Amtrak hopes to save nearly $1 million a year by moving half of its Denver-based train crew to Lincoln, Neb.
If all 21 employees agree to the move, no one will lose their job, company spokesman Marc Magliari said. The employees will retain their seniority with the company, he said.
The change affects only conductors and engineers working on the California Zephyr east of Denver. The train service will not be interrupted and the remaining 21-person train crew will work the train between Denver and Grand Junction, he said.
Amtrak is one of multiple private and public partners involved in returning train service between Denver and Winter Park earlier this month. The train company has been reinventing itself through short-haul routes; long-haul routes carry a small portion of the company’s ridership, it said.
This is the latest hit on the train industry in Colorado. Union Pacific eliminated 200 jobs when it shuttered its Burnham Shop repair yard last February after the demand for coal trains decreased in Colorado. The company offered affected employees the opportunity to transfer to other sites within its network.
CORRECTION: This story was updated Jan. 19, 2017, at 8:52 p.m. to clarify the job description of the employees who will be relocated. Half of Denver’s train crew will move to Lincoln, Neb.
