Metra adding late-night trains on Milwaukee North line

Blue six-axle diesel with commuter train

CHICAGO — Metra will add a late-night train in each direction as part of updated schedules on the Milwaukee District North line effective June 3, the commuter operator has announced. The new schedules will adjust train times and stopping patterns “to more accurately reflect current operating conditions,” Metra said in a press release. Arrivals and […]

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Travel: Exploring London by rail

Three modern green-painted electric locomotives side by side in a station

Exploring London by rail Exploring London by rail unlocks the best the metropolis has to offer. As one of the world’s great cities, London is a popular destination for American travelers and one of the planet’s most railroad-intensive places. It is populated by amazing Victorian stations that blend the finest examples of 19th-century railroad architecture […]

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Shaw to Norfolk Southern employees: Now we must deliver results

ATLANTA — With a bruising proxy battle now behind it, Norfolk Southern now must deliver on the promises the railroad has made, CEO Alan Shaw said in a video message to employees today. “It was a good day for Norfolk Southern,” Shaw said of Thursday’s annual meeting of shareholders, where investors backed the railroad’s management […]

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T1 Trust shows frame and drivers; K4s 1361 tender painted

Steam engine wheels and frame on truck trailer

ALTOONA, Pa. — Milestones of progress on two Pennsylvania Railroad steam-locomotive projects were unveiled at last week’s 56th annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust brought the frame and four drivers for its 21st-century recreation of the PRR T1 class of 100-mph streamlined 4-4-4-4 passenger […]

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News photos: CP 2816 impresses in Iowa

Steam engine surrounded by people parked under pedestrian bridge

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Canadian Pacific Kansas City obviously won many fans, especially young visitors, during its three-hour display of the Final Spike Steam Tour train at Davenport’s Quinlan Court riverfront park on Friday, May 10, 2024. The display featuring 4-6-4 No. 2816, known as “the Empress” was free to the public, with many visitors walking […]

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Railfan Road: Virginia’s 460

A pair of black and white painted locomotives, under a blue sky, passing a newly plowed field.

Railfan Road: Virginia’s 460 has all the elements: tracks generally within sight, a legendary grade, interesting endpoints, rail attractions along the way, and reasonable train density (including two Amtrak routes). Some unique cuisine and non-rail history along the way even make it palatable for the non-railfans in the car. The 225-mile trip between Roanoke and […]

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Memorable train rides: Amtrak’s ‘City of New Orleans’

red trolley in downtown area

Trains Editor Carl’s pick: Riding on the City of New Orleans Name of train: Amtrak City of New Orleans The route: Chicago-Memphis-New Orleans Duration: 19 hours The adventure: A rail industry convention in New Orleans in April 2023 provided an opportunity to ride a train I mostly knew about thanks to the country-folk song “City […]

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DC Metrorail retires 2000-series railcars

Subway train pulling into station

WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has retired its 2000-series railcars, the oldest equipment in its fleet. The cars’ last day of service was Friday, May 10, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a press release. The cars, built by Italy’s Breda with final assembly in Beech Grove, Ind., debuted in 1983, arriving about two […]

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