MBTA releases safety plan, faces hiring challenges

Men working on MBTA Orange Line car

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on Monday released a three-year Safety Improvement Plan, gathering together its proposals to address efforts mandated by the Federal Transportation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and other agencies. That report was released on the same day a study by the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation said the MBTA is facing a […]

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Keystone Corridor service resumes

blue and silver passenger train passes brick tower

LANCASTER, Pa.— Amtrak and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train services on the Keystone Line, annulled on Sunday due to storm damage, was resumed late this morning after having been shut down Sunday. Early-morning Amtrak operations between Philadelphia and Harrisburg were annulled earlier today, as was service on SEPTA’s Thorndale and Paoli routes. Service was restored […]

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News photos: Conrail Historical Society Museum opens

People gathered inside of boxcar turned into musuem

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — The Conrail Historical Society’s museum and archive center, housed in a retired 86-foot hi-cube auto parts boxcar, opened to the public with ceremonies on Saturday, April 1. The facility, located along the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail, is a collaboration of the society with the rail trail, Shippensburg University, Cumberland Area Economic Development […]

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Keystone Arch Bridges of Massachusetts

Winter photo of a blue freight locomotive on stone arch bridge

Still in use more than 180 years after they were built, the Keystone Arch Bridges of western Massachusetts stand as enduring monuments to the skill of their creators. An economic crisis Boston had a problem in the late 1830s. The newly completed Erie Canal was drawing more and more trade to the ports of New […]

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Amtrak E60 locomotives

Front three-quarter view of Amtrak E60 locomotives

Amtrak E60 locomotives are an important bridge for Northeast Corridor electric railroading between the GG1s of the 1930s and 1940s to the AEM-7 and HHP-8 locomotives of the 1980s and early 2000s.   E60 locomotive history General Electric developed the E60 C-C or six-axle locomotives at its Erie, Pa., plant in the early 1970s. The […]

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Lionel heavyweight observation cars make their debut

Drumhead on rear of Lionel observation car

It’s hard to believe we’re just now seeing Lionel heavyweight observation cars from the 2021 Volume II Lionel Catalog. Such are the cycles of production! These models were cataloged alongside brass hybrid Strasburg Rail Road 2-10-0 No. 90. They resemble two different paint schemes on a prototype car that belongs to the Pennsylvania tourist line. […]

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Eng to receive base salary of $470,000 as head of MBTA

Man in dark suit and tie

BOSTON — Many observers have wondered why Phillip Eng, who recently retired as president of the Long Island Railroad, would want to take on the job of leading the problem-plagued Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. While the question is still worth considering, it should be noted he will be well compensated for the large task at […]

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15 cars of ore derail on CN train in Pennsylvania

Canadian National logo

BRADY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Fifteen cars of a Canadian National train carrying iron ore derailed Wednesday, WTAE-TV reports. The derailment occurred about 8 a.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported, and the railroad told the station that no hazardous materials were involved. Video footage on the station website showed cleanup in progress at the site continuing […]

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Steamtown announces 2023 excursion schedule

Steam locomotive moving between buildings

SCRANTON, Pa. — Steamtown National Historic Site has announced its schedule of train rides for 2023, with trips ranging from 30-minute trips exploring the park’s rail yard to full-day excursions through the Poconos. The seasonal rides resume May 11, with tickets on sale online as of April 1 for excursions in May through August. Excursions […]

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