Strike Threat Looms Over US City

Strike threats by US rail maintenance company Amtrak in Boston, US, have left the city's transit officials fearing commuter chaos.

A strike would virtually shut down Boston's South Station, forcing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to suspend its busy Providence/Stoughton Line, writes the Boston Globe.

The MBTA owns most of the commuter rail track that carries suburban commuters into and out of Boston, with Amtrak dispatching all services in and out of South Station - which handles 60 percent of the authority's commuter trains.

The strike could begin 30 January, but neither Amtrak or union representatives would comment on the likelihood of action.

The strike would be the first for Amtrak.

By staff writer