Mardi Gras Service off to a solid start: Analysis (updated)

Passenger car with large glass rear window at station

First of two parts NEW ORLEANS — Confetti cannons that showered Amtrak’s 10-car Mardi Gras Service inaugural special as it headed to Mobile, Ala., on Aug. 16, 2025, have moved on to other celebrations. Meanwhile, the twice-daily, New Orleans-Mobile round trips have proven that the day’s enthusiasm has survived the transition. The next tasks: completion […]

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Staten Island Railway now has full fleet of new railcars

Subway car at station

NEW YORK — The Staten Island Railway has completed its conversion to a fleet of R211 subway cars, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced. In an event at St. George on Staten Island, MTA officials celebrated the fact the isolated 14-mile, 21-station segment of the New York City Transit rail system now has a full […]

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WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car

Color photo showing mail compartment end of HO scale 70-foot heavyweight RPO-baggage car with clerestory roof painted Pullman Green and black on white background

WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $94.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car features: 30-foot postal apartment with mailbag stanchions, sorting cases, and more Based on prototypes in service from 1914 to 1970s Clear window glazing Detailed underbody with […]

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Riding Amtrak’s Empire Builder

Modern diesel-powered passenger train arrives at a station

In August 2025, my wife and I planned a trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit family and friends. While we frequently travel by air and rental car, and have taken shorter train trips in the U.S. and Europe, we’ve never done a long-distance rail experience. So, we decided to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder from […]

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DART to open commuter rail Silver Line on Oct. 25

Silver and yellow diesel multiple unit trainsets

DALLAS — Dallas Area Rapid Transit will launch its new commuter rail Silver Line on Saturday, Oct. 25, the agency announced today (Sept. 12, 2025). Rides will be free on the first day — and free rides will continue through Nov. 8, DART says, to give everyone the chance to experience the new service firsthand. […]

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Southern California hydrogen trainset to make revenue debut Saturday

Blue and white multiple-unit passenger train

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The first hydrogen-powered passenger trainset in the U.S. will enter revenue service this Saturday, Sept. 13, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has announced. The train will debut on the 9-mile, five station Arrow corridor between San Bernardino and Redlands, Calif., and on its first day will offer zero-fare rides. The […]

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MTA announces plans for possible Long Island Rail Road strike

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has urged commuters to work from home or stay with friends and family in or near New York City in case of a strike by Long Island Rail Road workers, while announcing “limited service options” in the event of a work stoppage. Approximately 300,000 riders will be impacted […]

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Board members engaged at Amtrak online meeting: Analysis

Passenger train pulled by electric locomotive on long straight

WASHINGTON — Though outsiders were not permitted to comment or ask questions, the online Amtrak board of directors meeting today (Wednesday, Sept. 10) was much more informative than the previous edition, in large part because of interrogation by board members following company executives’ presentations and candid admission of where results are falling short. The last […]

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