Negotiations are ongoing between unions and railroad companies. If they don't come to an agreement, the first national rail strike in 30 years could start early Friday.
While Amtrak is not involved in the negotiations, service has already been adjusted on track that could be affected by the dispute.
Here's what Amtrak passengers need to know about the situation:
Is Amtrak striking?
No. "The negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce," Amtrak said in a statement earlier this week.
So why is Amtrak canceling service?
Amtrak has started to preemptively suspend service because its track will be affected if freight rail workers go on strike.
"Amtrak operates almost all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on track owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads," said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman.
The passenger rail carrier said it would only operate trains this week that it "can ensure will have enough time to reach their final destinations by 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16."
Will Acela service be affected?
No. Amtrak says Acela service between Boston, New York and Washington will not be affected. Amtrak expects "only minimal changes" to Northeast Regional services.
And the following routes will not be affected, Amtrak said in an alert on its website Wednesday:
• Empire Service between New York City and Albany, New York
• Keystone Service between New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Amtrak Hartford Line between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts
• Downeaster between Boston and Brunswick, Maine
Which routes are affected?
Amtrak has canceled trains on the routes below, according to Amtrak spokesperson Kimberly Woods.
"Additional updates may be coming today," Woods said Wednesday.
CNN Travel has asked for clarification on how long Amtrak expects service on these routes to be affected.
Amtrak said it would try to contact passengers whose trains are canceled at least 24 hours in advance.
Can I change my ticket?
Yes. Amtrak says it will contact customers who are or may be impacted with offers to change their travel dates. Fare differences will be waived for departures through October 31.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Impacted customers contacted by Amtrak may receive a full refund without cancellation fees.
Will commuter rail service be affected?
Yes, rail service not provided by Amtrak could be affected by a freight rail strike. Many passenger rail services operate on tracks owned by freight railroads, including Metra in Chicago and Maryland Transit Administration's MARC trains. Check directly with local rail providers about potential disruptions.
CNN's Omar Jimenez, Geneva Sands, Vanessa Yurkevich, Chris Isidore, Matt McFarland and Pete Muntean contributed to this report. Top image: Amtrak cars and locomotives sit in a yard on August 25 in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Boe)
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