SACRAMENTO, Calif. – “A new statewide train system, over 700 miles in length, capable of travel at speeds up to 200 mph,” reads a 2005 brochure published by the California High Speed Rail Authority. The system will “carry as many as 68 million passengers annually by 2020.” Those dreams are stalled somewhere in the arid […]
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 will go back to Ohio NEWSWIRE
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 puts on a show at Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in 2018. Trains: Jim Wrinn PENINSULA, Ohio — The 2019 mainline steam picture just got a little brighter. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad representatives said Monday they’ll happily host Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 again on excursions this fall for two […]
PTC, Penn Station, and Fordham revenue sharing, all in a New York Note NEWSWIRE
NEW YORK — Operational changes and positive train control issues were discussion topics at a recent joint meeting of Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road committees. Specifically: ● The Long Island Rail Road revealed changes for its New York Penn Station Lower Level Concourse; a previous joint NJ Transit/Amtrak announcement of reworked space on the […]
Senator calls for FRA investigation, oversight of New York MTA PTC installation NEWSWIRE
NEW YORK — Concerned by delays in the installation of positive train control on New York MTA’s two commuter railroads, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer has called for the Federal Railroad Administration to step in and oversee PTC installation on the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road. “To know that the $1 billion dollar project I […]
Wabtec workers’ strike in Erie stretches a full week NEWSWIRE
Long-time GE, now Wabtec, worker Chris Merit on strike in Lawrence Park, Pa., on Monday. The former GE Transportation complex looms behind Merit and fellow picketers. Stephan M. Koenig ERIE, Pa. — Huddled around one of the burn barrels across the street from the Water Street entrance Chris Merit displays his picket line sign. Merit […]
Winter weather wallops operations on Donner Pass NEWSWIRE
The SPMW 222 at Crystal Lake, Calif., about 15 minutes before its bearings failed. S.R. Bush TRUCKEE, Calif. – Winter on Donner Pass is only at the halfway mark but already is proving one to be remembered. November and December were mild, but in January things began to shift the pace and strength of storms […]
Amtrak cancels ‘Keystone,’ ‘Pennsylvanian’ trains because of impending storm NEWSWIRE
NEW YORK — Amtrak has cancelled one train today and several on Monday in anticipation of a winter storm striking Pennsylvania. Cancelled today (Sunday, March 3) is the westbound Pennsylvanian, train No. 43, which was supposed to depart New York Penn Station at 10:51 a.m. and arrive in Pittsburgh at 7:59 p.m. Cancelled for Monday, […]
Senator says worker’s fall onto circuit board caused Union Station signal outage NEWSWIRE
Thursday’s signal outage at Chicago Union Station was reportedly caused by a worker falling on a circuit board during an equipment upgrade, according to a U.S. Senator. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — That “human error” that snarled Metra’s Thursday evening commute? It wasn’t just someone flicking the wrong switch or a programming mistake. U.S. Sen […]
Transcontinental Railroad history: challenges to Union Pacific’s survival lead to rebirth under Harriman
Transcontinental Railroad financial troubles After just 18 years of operation, there had been so many irregularities and so much concern over the Union Pacific’s ability to repay its federal loans that in 1887 Congress created the United States Pacific Railroad Commission to investigate the finances and structure of all the major railroads initially described as […]
House members’ letter asks pointed questions of Amtrak CEO Anderson NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — Ninety-one members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson demanding answers to a long list of concerns “regarding changes that Amtrak has recently implemented and is reportedly considering making to its operations” posed by their constituents. The 11-page letter — slightly more than […]
MBTA receives first of 10 rebuilt F40s NEWSWIRE
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has unveiled the first of 10 rebuilt F40PH locomotives for its commuter rail service. The Boston Globe reports that the program, costing about $3 million per locomotive, will extend the life of each unit about 20 years. Positive train control equipment has been added as part of the […]
New Mexico Rail Runner looks at spur for balloon fiesta NEWSWIRE
New Mexico Rail Runner could build a new spur for balloon fiesta traffic. Trains: Jim Wrinn ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Despite previous setbacks, attendees of a popular hot-air balloon event in New Mexico could still eventually arrive by rail. KRQE-TV in Albuquerque, N.M., is reporting that local city government is considering the construction of a spur […]
