Access Living member Adam Ballard boards an Amtrak train Wednesday in Chicago. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that Amtrak had quoted Access Living at more than $25,000 to reconfigure train cars to accommodate five wheelchair users. “Makes you wonder what the hubbub was about,” Hayman said in an email. Members of the advocacy group said they got “the royal treatment” from Amtrak on their trip Wednesday, with plenty of room to spare, according to Access Living communications director Bridget Hayman. We are America’s Railroad and we want to provide more trips, not fewer.” “We are glad it has all worked out and we were able to accommodate our customers’ trip.
It was never meant to be applied to this situation and we apologize for that mistake,” the agency said in a statement Wednesday. “After further review, Amtrak has determined to suspend the policy in question. The team from Chicago-based Access Living made smooth passage Wednesday morning on an Amtrak train to Normal after days of wrangling over the steep tab that was slashed by the transit agency after an intense public outcry following a Chicago Sun-Times report. Amtrak is scrapping a controversial group pricing policy after it resulted in an eye-popping $25,000 travel bill for a group of disability rights activists heading Downstate for a conference and rally.