Railroads

Amtrak cancels trains in preparation for hurricane

{mosads}Currently a category 3 hurricane gathering strength near the Bahamas, Irene is expected to be the first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since 2008.

The storm is forecast to possibly affect the East Coast as far north as New England. Officials in some coastal North Carolina regions have already begun evacuating residents.

Amtrak said Thursday it “regrets any inconvenience” from the cancellations, but the agency warned “additional cancellations may be necessary in the coming days as the major storm moves north.”

Amtrak said it was not yet making any changes to its Northeast service, which is home to its most popular routes.