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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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California legislature today (Sept. 13, 2025) passed a bill allowing a ballot measure for a sales tax in five Bay Area counties to help fund public transit in the area. SB 63, introduced by state Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin, would place the measure on the November 2026 ballot. It […]
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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 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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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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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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NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority lost some $1 billion to fare and bridge toll evasion in 2024, a new report estimates. But it also says moves by the MTA and law enforcement agencies have started to cut into that figure, and could reduce the loss by some $100 million this year, the first […]
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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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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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NEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declined to say Wednesday whether she would ask President Donald Trump to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board to head off a potential strike by five Long Island Rail Road unions, and claimed that the Trump administration was responsible for the possibility of a walkout as soon as […]
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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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SEATTLE — In a milestone for Sound Transit’s ongoing expansion of its light rail network, a light rail train operated across Lake Washington’s Interstate 90 floating bridge late Monday night (Sept. 8, 2025). It was not only the first time a Sound Transit train has crossed that bridge under its own power, but, according to […]
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