I'm a regular commuter on Amtrak train service from Mineola. I was planning on taking a train this weekend to see my family in the Temple, TX area but due to the potential railroad strike across the country, Amtrak was forced to cancel train service this weekend. But thanks to what seems to be a tentative deal between train unions the trains might be back rolling soon.

What Happened?

According to CNN, unions and management reached a tentative deal early Thursday, averting a freight railroad strike that had threatened to cripple US supply chains and push prices higher for many goods. The deal was announced just after 5 a.m. ET Thursday in a statement from the White House.

While negotiations did not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, passenger rail service was adjusted on routes that could have been affected by the dispute.

By Wednesday, Amtrak had announced the suspension of all long-distance Amtrak trains starting Thursday. I hadn't booked my train ticket yet to leave town so I checked the Amtrak website and sure enough, the Texas Eagle train, which stops in Longview and Mineola was cancelled.

The News Comes Just As Longview Completed a $5 Million Renovation To Their Amtrak Stop.

Local leaders in Longview and Amtrak officials celebrated the completion of a $5 million improvement of their station with a ribbon-cutting this past Wednesday morning. Both Longview and Mineola is served daily by the Amtrak Texas Eagle, to and from San Antonio/Los Angeles and Chicago, via Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Little Rock and St. Louis, with Amtrak Thruway Bus service daily to and from Galveston via Houston and Nacogdoches.

As of the time of this article, The Texas Eagle Train scheduled for Friday remains cancelled but Saturday's train is set to resume its schedule. Thankfully this crisis has been averted and you can start hitting the rails once again soon.