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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
A Staten Island Railway train pauses at Huguenot station. A new proposal would consolidate some functions of the Staten Island Railway, New York subway, and other rail operations as part of a restructuring of the MTA. Ralph Spielman A Poughkeepsie-bound Hudson Line Metro-North commuter train stops at 125th Street station in Manhattan. A new proposal […]
ELLENDALE, Minn. – Two Union Pacific trains stuck in deep snow near Ellendale are free this week following the efforts of railroad and contractor crews to free them. Ellendale is located on the so-called “Spine Line” between Minneapolis and Des Moines, Iowa, about 30 miles north of the Minnesota-Iowa state line. The work took place […]
Union Pacific’s LOA32 local finishes up its day passing the now-removed Lemon Avenue wig-wag in Anaheim California on July 6, 2018. Charles Freericks ANAHEIM, Calif. – The era of the wig-wag signal in Southern California made a step closer to its conclusion with the removal of Union Pacific’s Lemon Avenue crossing signal in Anaheim in […]
